Back to the Enchanted Forest
by OneMagician
Summary: This story sets in right after the winter finale of season 3. Rumpelstiltskin finds himself back in the Enchanted Forest - alive, but no longer immortal. He discovers that nothing is as it was, and that Regina's new curse didn't work the way they had anticipated. All magic comes with a price... Cover by Emilie Brown
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything OUAT here. Just having a good time with it. Hope you do, too!**

1.

A light wind blew through the tall trees, moving the leaves, announcing him. There were not many creatures left in this part of the woods. Death and destruction had left its traces everywhere. But he had survived this and the other world, death, grief and mourning, reality and illusion. And he knew that still he wasn't dead. At least not in the way that he would have thought.

He was back in the Enchanted Forest. He didn't question why that was so. There was a strange light-heartedness he hadn't felt in… forever. That, he did question and wonder at. He held his breath for a moment and let it overcome all of him. No more looking, no more finding, no more counting odds. It was done.

He believed for certain he had lost everything and wasn't ever getting any of it back, and that in itself had something unexpectedly relieving about it. It made a brief smile flicker across his face, that lasted only for a moment, before something else more familiar took hold of him. Anger. He knew it to be pointless and had spent a lifetime controlling it. Then sadness followed. This, he had pushed away for most of his three hundred years. Finally, there was a weariness he'd never felt before since he had become the Dark One. This was new, but it too, he held down inside himself.

Time had taken no toll on his body that had, at 35, already had the look of a man in his fifties, long before he had been to Storybrooke and back. Years of hard physical work, malnourishment and illness, deprivation, war, loss, disappointment and fear left most men old at a young age where he came from. His first murder had turned him into a monster in the Enchanted Forest, but he had been a monster that never aged.

He was, however, now astonished at the fact that his hands were still the same color they had been when they had held the dagger that had killed Peter Pan in Storybrooke. He hadn't expected this since establishing that he was, infact, back to where he had been born. He had reckoned on having been returned to the appearance he had grown accustomed to in this land. Expected the monster. Finally, he thought to feel at his chest, where a deep wound should have been gaping. There was nothing. He seemed just human. But was he, really?

He looked down at himself again and raised his right hand slightly, summoned his anger by picturing the man that had forced him to leave his wife and his son, and then thought: "fire." A Fireball lit in his hand, perfectly round and burning like the flames of hell waiting to be unleashed. Tingling sensations rippled through him. Then a profound sadness overcame him again. He wanted to command it to leave his soul, but the picture of Belle's face beside his son in the street at the moment of his death haunted him.

The fire extinguished without so much as a whisp of smoke. He gave himself a moment, then gathered all his hate and allowed for the anger once more, deciding he had more than a right to it. He took pleasure in it and relished the fact that it was his choice alone, seeing no reason to suppress it anymore.

Rumpelstiltskin lifted both his hands and threw two mighty fireballs at a group of trees 50 yards away, lighting up the forest that had been ever so still since he had arrived. He drew air, and his laughter filled the forest. Not a soul could help but shudder at the presence of this unexpected sound, as he sank to his knees, laughter turning to screams of pain and rage.

Two ogres wandered the woods nearby. They both felt and heard Rumpelstiltskin's arrival and headed toward the tumult in the trees, but missed him by minutes. They would search on, at least for a while. They considered, as far as their restricted intellect would allow for, as to what to report at the evening meeting with their comrades and chieftain. Then again, maybe they should just forget to mention it, thought the taller of them, knocking over the charred remains of one of the incinerated tree-trunks.

Home, he thought, picking up the dagger from the soft moss at his knees. Home, but not by magic. The one thing he knew to be forever on his side was time. Now, finally, more so than ever. Nothing to find, nothing to hope for, no more fear of missing the one deal he would have to make, the one trading that would erase his mistakes and redeem him.

He understood now that there _was_ no redemption for him. No forgiveness, no breaking his curse in this lifetime – even if he did seem human here now. He was the same inside. And _that_ was his curse.

He slowly got up and began walking, fastening the dagger to his belt underneath his cloak.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

It had been raining for days now – freezing damp winter nights out in the open, dark grey skies during the day. It was enough to take the last spark of hope from her heart. She spoke little, hardly ate, looked ill, and Red was worried. No one else seemed to notice. Red had been thankful for the small mercy of being next to invisible herself to most for a big part of her life. Her cloak concealed not only the wolf, but also the woman that the girl had grown into. The girl that had killed her true love. Her cursed identity, Ruby, had hungered for attention, but Red liked to blend into the background.

Her friend, on the other hand, had been very much in the spotlight for most of her childhood and youth, beautiful and loved by all. But beauty fades so quickly… After Belle had consented to go with Rumpelstiltskin in exchange for peace and wealth for her father's kingdom, sacrificing her own freedom, she had been meanly gossiped about, and in the end avoided by most, even later in Storybrooke. No one had understood why Belle had gone with Rumple, and even stayed with him after he had released her, but everyone had been glad that the deal had been struck. They had given her away with but a meager, weak-hearted objection by her father and her fiancée. Gaston had gone to look for her but never returned. It was unclear what had happened to him, but most people thought that he had been killed by the beast. How Belle could feel anything for this monster, even Red would never understand. Eventhough she thought of herself as a creature unworthy of love, she had always feared Rumpelstiltskin and simply respected Belle's perceptions, sometimes wishing that someone might show her the same compassion. At other times back in Storybrooke she had been convinced that Belle could have done much better, even after all that had happened – if only she had been able to stay away from Gold… Someday, people might have forgotten about her association with him, and there would have been some handsome young man to whom the past might not have mattered, willing to love Belle without prejudice. Didn't so many people have secrets of their own?

Belle left the campsite shelter again, wandering to the river bank. Red followed her unnoticed.

The lost young woman just stood there, watching the tearing stream in the pouring rain, drenched to the skin. Red could sense her sadness. She knew her friend was mourning and she felt sorry for her, whatever her sentiments towards Gold had been.

They had been back in the forest and going round in circles for more than three weeks now, dodging ogres barely armed. Ever more small groups had been leaving them to brave it on their own, occasionally meeting up with them again, convinced they had been on the better path. Even Red and Granny hadn't been able to find their way. It was as though some magic spell was blocking them, taking their sense of direction.

Belle never complained and never offered suggestions, as most of them did. Regina had abandoned them very early on, which no one seemed very unhappy about and no one talked much about. Charming, Snow and even Bae were secretly at their wit's end, but all of them trying to encourage the group and telling them not to give up. Red had the creeping feeling that Belle, who had always been such an optimistic nature, had though. She didn't seem to care about anything at all anymore, did her chores and kept her watches like everyone, but disappeared from sight as soon as she thought that nobody would be looking and just sat by the river they were sticking to, never minding the danger of going off on her own.

Red watched Belle looking down at the grey gushing waters for a while. Finally she came up behind her and hunkered down on the wet ground close to her, pulling and plucking at her wet hood.

"You're going to catch your death, you know."

Silence.

"Belle, I can imagine how you must be feeling – but you have to talk to someone. You need to talk to someone."

"I'm alright," Belle lied and faked a smile, looking up and straight at her for the first time.

Red snorted. "Yeah, right."

Suddenly, Red sat bolt upright, looking at her intensely, taking in her smell, as her wolf instincts kicked in. "You're… Belle, there's something else, isn't there?" she stumbled, suddenly clear and deeply touched.

Belle swallowed hard and faked another smile. "No, there's nothing. Please just leave me here for another minute, Red. Don't be worried or angry at me. I just need some time. Please."

Red nodded and reluctantly turned to leave her. As she was leaving Belle called to her clearly and decidedly, "Please don't talk to anyone about me… about this." Red looked back at her and nodded slowly, thinking it over.

After she was sure Red was gone, Belle doubled over and cried. The now pounding rain mercifully seemed to swallow the sound, so that she was sure, no one would hear. This was the first time she had allowed herself to weep, always thinking that she hadn't even the right to. Bae had lost his father, too. He couldn't look her in the eye at all. Maybe he hated her. She was aware of the fact that she was alone. As she had been for more than 28 years. Rumple was gone, and the feeling of complete emptiness was so profound, that she could hardly breathe anymore. She hadn't seen this coming at all, eventhough she had long accepted that life was always full of surprises, especially where Rumple was concerned. Yet she had always hoped. And now there was no hope.

She remembered her last night in Storybrooke. Rumple had been back, and she had been so happy for him having found not only Henry, but also Bae. They had thought Bae was dead. That day, she had found Rumple to be at an inner peace she had never dared to hope for. He had been so hounded for every second she had known him in the past, so tense and controlling, afraid to let go of anything for even a second. But that day had undoubtedly been one of the happiest of his life. She had loved to see him that way. Loved to believe that he could remain so.

They had left the others to their reunions, Rumple never having even found a single mention, unlike Regina. No one had noticed their leaving. Bae had gone with the others, and Rumple hadn't lost a word over it. She had walked to the shop with him, because he had wanted a change of his clothes, and then he had kissed her there. They had gone to her apartment above the library and she had warmed a meal for them, talking and listening to each other as they never had before. It had gotten very late, and somewhat awkwardly, Rumple had gone home. She hadn't wanted him to, but he had left, as he always had done, saying that they had all the time in the world.

She had tossed and turned. Finally, she had decided she wasn't going to spend another night alone, and she had gotten dressed and walked through the lonely streets of Storybrooke to his house. He hadn't been asleep, she noticed that there were lights on all over the house. He had merely taken off his jacket and loosened his tie when he opened the door on her first knock. He had looked at her kindly and mildly surprised, but she hadn't said a word. He had stepped aside to let her in, but she had not walked past him, she had walked right into him, kissing him passionately.

"You shouldn't be here…" he had said gently, somewhat reluctantly pushing her away, He had a way of looking at her intensely and did so now.

She had turned and closed the door quietly, but stayed facing it, so that she could say what she had to. "I'm not leaving now and spending one more night on my own. I've had twenty-eight years of being alone, being without you. And just because we were both too stupid to take a chance in time.

I've lost years even in Storybrooke, after being free and finally being myself again, and then you were gone. I never know what terrible thing is going to happen tomorrow. All I know right now is that I'm not going to give away this day again in trade for some tomorrow that might never come." She had turned to him again, looking down at her feet.

"Belle, I'm so sorry…" Rumple had reached for her chin, the way he sometimes did, as though she was a child and must be made to listen to him, but she had shrugged him off. Hadn't he any idea what she was feeling? Or was she so out of place, that she was ruining everything? This time, she would tell him how she felt. Who was to say this chance would come around ever again?

"I don't want to be separated from you again," she burst out. "Rumple, I love you."

His face had dropped for a moment, and she hadn't known what to make of it, because he wasn't replying. Then he had taken her hand and led her silently into his study, as her heart fell. She hadn't known what to expect, had been on the verge of running out of the house, shamed, with her heart ablaze.

A wave of his hand swiftly opened a floorboard beside his desk, but she couldn't see inside the small nook it revealed, as he kneeled beside it and took out the small object it was built to hide.

"I've had this for years," he started calmly, "I was never ready to give it to you, because I was afraid – I was never free inside. I felt sure it was always inappropriate. Until today."

Still kneeling, he turned to face her and took her hand in his again. "I wanted to ask you at a more fitting time, in a more fitting place. But… Belle?"

She smiled at him, tears of relief pouring down her face, looking at the ring he was placing on her finger, fitting it perfectly. It was made of thin golden threads, woven together as though made by the finest goldsmith's hand – Rumples own, she knew.

"Belle, I will love you to the day I die. I promise you that I will honor you and protect you, be at your side for as long as you'll have me. Will you have me?" He looked up at her, unsure, and she could see the boy in his features, as she had time and time again, but only when they were alone. She knew he would never allow himself to show this side of himself to anyone else. This was the man only she knew, this was whom she had fallen in love with.

She smiled at him and kissed him, reading his mind, wanting to forget every bad moment and pushing away every doubt. She was sure he had changed his ways. For his family, for her, and she knew why he had done the things that he had. She had kept telling herself that this could work, wanting it to so badly. She had kept kissing him, thinking she would never leave him again.

Belle still sat by the riverside as the rain subsided. She wiped her face with her hands, showing the thin band of woven gold, knowing that he had made the right choice, done the right thing by all of them. But she also knew that she would have to explain that choice to the child growing inside her someday.


	3. Chapter 3

3

Rumpelstiltskin found it difficult to keep his bearings. He had known his way around these woods for the span of his long life like no one and nothing here had, but things had changed here, it seemed. At first, he had accounted his failing sense of direction to the fact that of all the places he could have ended up, this had been the last one he'd expected.

He'd had no idea what would happen to him or to his soul when he had plunged the dagger through his father's back and into his own chest. During those last seconds he had at first wondered if he would simply disappear, cease to exist, and then he had thought that he might go to the Netherworld. Both would have been fitting and acceptable to him. Finally, he had simply forgiven Peter and thought of the best place and time he had ever been: The Enchanted Forest and being a human child there, being happy in the sun under the tall trees near the house where he had grown up. Smelling the earthy scent of the turf fires in the early mornings and the cool moss beneath his naked feet late in the afternoons, after he had done his chores. He had loved hearing birds in the trees and watching squirrels jumping lightly from one branch to another. Moments of feeling the sunlight seep through the leaves and on his skin. How good wool felt in his hand and how he had as a very young man made cloths fit for kings and queens… He had thought of how he had been happy at the beginning of his marriage to Milah.

Peter had died in his arms thanks to the dagger through his shadow, of that he had been certain – and where ever his soul had ended up, he felt sure that he would never see him again. And where ever Rumpelstiltskin would end, "everything was as it should be, everyone was where they should be" was his last thought as he felt the cold metal penetrate his chest and tear him from the daylight.

The fact that he himself had somehow been returned to the Enchanted Forest had been a pleasant surprise to him. He had felt like it was a kind of undeserved going home – even if he was alone. It had been somehow liberating. He didn't mind being alone, on the contrary, but his initial light heartedness had faded away quickly, after he discovered that his magic was still there. Where was the sense in that?

He suddenly thought about it and hoped that Regina had managed to keep her end of the deal and save Belle, Bae and the others from the new curse. He could simply do nothing more for them from here, because he knew of no way back and did not think it was his right or his destiny to try to find a way back. He simply wished them all a long and happy life in Storybrooke. Surely that was more than probable. Bae would convince Emma to give him one more chance and be the kind of father to Henry that he had never been to Bae. They would do alright. And Belle was safe there. Maybe she would find the happiness he could never have given her. She would have children with a pleasant and happy soul of a man, grow old unburdened and without his kind of inner darkness. He had always needed her more than she had needed him, he told himself. He was a demon, and she was beautiful inside and out. She deserved so much better than him, finally. With him gone, she would be free. Bae would be free. He knew he, too, had been forgiven by his loved ones in the end.

Rumples lines of thought broke as he took notice of the remarkable silence all around him. The creatures of the forest were afraid, but not of him. He was used to sprites or fairies hiding from his sight. Elves and other more minor magical creatures fled upon sensing his presence. But most of the common animals of these woods had never feared him. They had even simply dodged the ogres that had been around before he had vanquished them.

The only sound was that of Rumples own breathing and an ogre somewhere near, his gigantic heavy footsteps making the ground shake slightly. And then, moving further on, Rumple took in the distinct buzzing of flies – a faint odor of rot lingered in the air along with it. Something big had died or been killed and been left close by. A stag or a horse, or even a unicorn, maybe. The forest left nothing to rot like that. At least it never had before.

His instincts told him that the journey home might be more challenging than he had at first thought. It didn't matter. Perhaps it was a good thing to get a look at the place as it now was. He had the feeling that Regina had overlooked some important facts and done a sloppy job in her rage and lust for revenge while using the original curse he had designed so perfectly… but then, she had never had an eye for detail as well as missing the big picture. She had to have done better second time around. Didn't she?

It wasn't long before he realized that he was not really getting anywhere as he made his way through the thick undergrowth, passing the same trees over and over again. He disliked paths, had never been one to use them, but after some hours, he would have liked to recognize the remains of one somewhere. He could not see the moon or the stars that night, because dark clouds shrouded the heavens, and the sun rose the next day hidden by a thick fog.

Both Emma and Bae had told him that there had been people left behind in this world. He wondered where they would be hiding. He told himself that he was not really interested in finding any of them, and had just decided that a little magic might come in handy after all, when the ground began to tremble and he lost his footing. He began slipping down a densely grown slope, hitting tree-trunks hard and grabbing at bushes and twigs as he fell. A sickening snap and a sharp pain told him that he had broken his arm as he finally came to a tumbling halt right in plain sight of an ogre that immediately began to scour for the source of all the noise. As he scrambled to his feet somewhat too loudly and exceedingly ungracefully, the wind knocked out of him, he found that he was also bleeding from a wound to his head. His head was spinning and he was hurt – but how could this be? His magic was still there, but he really was hurt, and the ogre would smell his blood. He realized that he was not immortal here anymore. He would have to take better care of himself.

The ogre screamed out and began thundering blindly towards him. Rumple gathered himself just in time to raise his good hand and freeze him in mid-leap, seconds before the giant creature could crush him. He took a moment to draw air and sat down again with a thump, feeling black and blue. He pressed his hand to his head, still unbelieving and wondering at the blood pouring down his face, cradling his arm for a minute. He had to think.

Finally, he pressed his broken arm to his chest using his good hand, and green light protruded from the bloody mess as the bones moved back into place, the wound closing. The gash on his head still bled, and Rumple touched it with both hands to heal it. As he did, his eyes widened in amazement, taking in that the skin on his hands had changed to a gleaming grey with dustings of gold. He stared for a moment at grey claw-tipped fingers and pale grey and green arms under the cloth of his sleeves, groped at the now wiry curls of dark brown and golden hair on his head. He closed his eyes and his face hardened. There was one thing that always remained a certainty, here and in any other world: All magic came at a price.


	4. Chapter 4

They had started marking trees as they went, but the marks never remained where they had put them. Snow knew this, having realized long before Charming, but keeping it to herself for a while, just to be sure she wasn't mistaken.

Packing up their campsite was a quick and silent motion, well practiced during the last weeks. They could not afford much noise, as there were ogres everywhere. Legend had it that Rumpelstiltskin had turned them all to stone to end the Ogre-Wars and banished them to the Lost Mountains. They must have changed back to flesh and blood after the curse had taken them all to Storybrooke and they had returned, angrier than ever. Snow had hoped that there would not be quite as many, but the woods were practically overrun. She sensed that there was also something else, but she could not put her finger on it. The ogres were not here of their own accord – they seemed to be looking for something. This was bigger than she had imagined it could be since she had been here last. With Emma.

Remembering that was painful. Sometimes she thought it would have been kinder if they had all forgotten, like Regina had said they would. But being here in this bewitched part of the forest, not getting anywhere and thinking of Emma and Henry burdened her every day. She tried to push these thoughts away, because, after all, her daughter and grandchild were safe in a world with warm housing and penicillin. Bae had lost his father. Rumple was dead, and they had all watched him go of his own free will, taking his wretched father to hell, they hoped. An Exit worthy of the man she had feared, loathed, needed, distrusted and relied on, respected and tried to understand and cope with, all in the space of one month…

Bae had lived in the Enchanted Forest long before she had been born, so she had never known him, but she understood how Emma could have fallen in love with him. He was warm-hearted and sincere. He could tell stories and fascinated the children with his tales of their old world, the Ogre-Wars and an evil man that had once had a good heart. Sometimes she could see a flicker of his father in his dark eyes, when he stubbornly debated this or that, a path to find, a suitable campsite to secure, a hunting party to organize.

It was this flicker that told her he knew when he walked casually up to her, fastening his bow to his back and pulling his hood snugly around his head. He took a knife from his belt and pointed around. "Which of the trees would you like remarked today, m'lady?" he smiled softly, bowing comically. "We'll talk about this when we're out of earshot…" She turned away from him, her eyes searching the near area quickly, and called to Charming, "Ready?"

Charming had been talking to Red, who was obviously worried about something. Snow called out, "What's wrong?" Red briefly looked up at her, but disappeared from sight before Snow could reach Charming.

"What is it?" she repeated.

Charming looked serious. "Red says Belle is ill and can't travel. She has a fever."

"Well, we'll just have to stay here today…"

"You know how risky that is, we can hardly fight of more than two or three of them at the same time. There's just not enough of us anymore, and they tend to come by the dozen once they hear one of their buddies hit the ground…"

"Well, what are you suggesting? We can't leave her here!"

"I'm not suggesting that. I'm just saying we'll have to expect trouble… You know your herbs, can't you find her something to speed things up a little?"

"I'll try."

Snow decided to ask Bae along to find charweed, which was known to take down temperatures. They never left the campsite alone, and he was an excellent marksman, so no one wondered at the fact that she had chosen to ask him, while Charming told the others. He went along gladly, keeping his bow in his hand as they walked. It was dry this morning, mercifully, but still there was no end to the heavy dark clouds, and the wind was gaining speed, chilling them to their bones. "Who's ill?" he wanted to know.

"It's Belle. We might have to stay on the campsite another day or two."

"Won't make much of a difference. We're not getting anywhere as it is."

"I know that. You know that. Most of the others don't. We need to try and figure this out soon."

"Snow, we need to tell the others the truth! They need to know. Maybe we can figure this out together."

Snow bent to pick some charweed from under a bush. "I know. But I do want to talk to Charming and Archie first, before we spread panic. Too many have left already, and there is just more safety in numbers in this case."

They returned to the campsite and found Belles shelter, made from green pine branches and covered by leaves. Snow saw that she was burning up and hardly knew where she was. Bae decided to tend the tiny fire at the foot of the shelter, but there was almost no wood left. He felt sorry for Belle, but he had no idea how to talk to her. He had tried several times. Taken deep breaths. Looked for her. But he had seen her profound sadness and respected her need to be alone. He had felt a loss when his father had sacrificed himself, a stinging pain – but it had subsided quite quickly, knowing that he had made his peace with Rumple. They had parted for the last time, finally on good terms. He was proud of his father, had no more issues with the man. He was able to move on. The bigger problem was his loss of Emma and Henry. He was sure that Emma was taking care of Henry and that they would be fine. But he missed his family, eventhough he never really had it. He had wished to see his son grow up. He had hoped for Emma to fall in love with him again. Now all that would never happen. He felt for Belle, because he had gotten that she truly loved his father – in his eyes an almost impossible feat for any woman in her right mind – but it felt strange. He just didn't know how to speak to her.

"Belle, you have to put these in your mouth and chew. Don't worry," Snow told her. Red had been collecting some firewood. She dropped the wood at Baes feet and grabbed the charweed before Snow could give it to Belle, who had nodded and sat up to take the healing herbs.

"Don't!" Red cried.

"Why not?" Snow demanded. "This is charwood – you taught me this!"

"Because… sorry, Belle…," she stumbled "because Belle is pregnant."

Snow opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't know what to. All that came out was "Oh…" Bae had heard and moved closer.

Red continued matter of factly, "We'll simply need some common horehound and a bit of goats' beard. Will take longer, but won't harm the baby."

"I can find that," said Bae, pushing aside his surprise. He never would have guessed. This was strange, but he suddenly felt like he had to help. He knew these plants well and had seen the common horehound close by. The goats' beard might take a while, he thought, and got going. He decided not to think about this too much. They had to get Belles temperature down and find a way out of this part of the forest, and soon. "Bae?" Belle called. He turned back and kneeled down to her. "Yes?" Belle hesitated, but then looked at him with intense blue eyes that found their way straight into his soul. "Thank you," she mumbled. He nodded and left Red to apologize again, while Snow considered all the things she would have to confess to her husband, providing he hadn't already known himself. A lot of unspoken things going round, she thought to herself. They would have to stop trying to keep things from each other. This was definitely not working.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Rumple felt that he was being watched. There were eyes on him from everywhere, it seemed. It took him a while to calm himself, telling himself that he knew this feeling. He was seeing ghosts again because he had become one again, and the haunted were only haunted by themselves. It was the magic. It had this effect on him. In the beginning, right after he had become the Dark One, he had been on edge most of the time, hadn't slept and had horrible visions. He had learned to control these visions by conjuring pleasant ones instead. Bae had wondered whom he had been talking to on some occasions, when illusion and reality had melted together – a long dead childhood friend had kept him company sometimes, when Milah had not been in his head. And after Bae had gone, he had conjured images of his 4-year-old playing by the fire as he span. He had become more self-assured and less reliant on his illusions when he had killed the seer and been able to see the future for himself. This gift was, however, for reasons he did not understand, not working anymore. He would have to go it blind, and that had something unnerving.

As the ogre he had frozen began stirring, Rumple had balanced himself sufficiently to take notice, and he smoothly placed himself behind it, his face dark and resolute. The ogre looked around in bewilderment, snorted and shook the ground shifting his weight, but had no idea of what was coming.

Rumple raised one hand and twisted his fingers into an iron fist around the ogre's invisible heart. Black sand began seeping through his fingers as the ogre crashed to the ground and crumpled from sight. "At least you won't smell," the Dark One mumbled under his breath. His face brightened. "One down, the rest to go, dearie!" he said loudly, correcting his posture, sounding as gleeful as Rumpelstiltskin had ever been, and he let his mind wander to his castle. "Home, then," he thought, "Let's have a look at what's left," and disappeared in a puff of purple smoke, ready to enjoy the ride.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

There it was. His castle. Practically untouched, cobwebs and some broken windows aside. Rumple stood in what had once been his beautiful garden, looking for danger and damage. Soon having decided that neither was worth considering, he walked briskly through the impressive entry doors, which squeaked slightly, as they opened themselves for him. He could feel the presence of a small group of people hiding somewhere in the building, but he was not alarmed.

He grinned broadly. "Come out, come out, wherever you are!" he called as he made his way to the great hall, his magic picking up objects from the floor and setting chairs right, repairing glass doors and chandeliers, unfolding and cleaning rugs and shining the dulled tiles and woodwork. "I would have called, but I didn't think you'd mind my dropping by!"

Five men appeared silently behind him, but he kept walking, as they drew arrows from their quivers and bent their bows. He stood by the window from which Pan's shadow had taken Bae and watched the pane repair itself, as the men closed in on him. He could sense their anxiety at the sight of him. He had often prompted that reaction in people, and often relished it after years of bending his back and bending his knees to men of higher birth or position. Rumple turned to Robin and raised his finger as if to scold a naughty child. "Now, now, is that any way to welcome back the landlord?"

Robin did not take down his bow. "My debts to you are paid in full, and I have to be sure you're not going to kill us," he declared.

Rumple willed the arrows pointed at him to fall clattering to the ground. "I know that you helped my son. I'm not going to kill you – yet. I'm just shocked at your housekeeping in my absence. Oh, just take down those ridiculous toys and get out of my sight."

The five men looked at each other and lowered their useless weapons. Robin took a deep breath. "We ask your permission to stay in this castle. We have women, children and old folk within these walls… and we know this would be the only safe place for them. If we leave, they will be lost. We would be willing to stand in your service."

Rumple had to conceal his surprise at this proposal. He considered shortly and turned away, picking up the staff that Bae had used to open the vault at the back of the hall. What could be scaring these men of the woods out of these woods? Deciding it was none of his concern, his answer came calmly and coldly. "No."

"No?" shouted Robin, throwing the bow that wasn't going to save his life to the ground. "Is that it? No?"

Rumple turned halfway back to him and cocked his head to one side. "No. I don't keep company very well. Ask anyone. Oh, but then, there's no one left, is there? I mean, apart from you and your… your merry women and old folk."

"There is, but you don't know the half of it yet," Robin replied. "We know you cloaked your castle for all the magical creatures of this forest. That's why the ogres and the gnomes can't find it, but the ogres are just the beginning. You have a new enemy, and it might just come in handy to have ten good men that know their way around right now."

Rumple thought about it for a few seconds more, before repeating decicively, "no."

Suddenly a small thin boy of about five years with fair hair came scuttling into the room, wearing a leather bodyshield much too big for his small torso, and sporting a half-sized bow of his own. "You can't make us leave!" he shouted, pointing his arrow at Rumple.

"Roland, no!" Robin cried out in panic as the boy made a beeline around him, but before he could get a hold of his boy, Roland had placed himself right in front of the Dark One, a menacing look playing comically on the features of his round young face.

Rumple laughed out loud and waved his left hand at Robin, who froze in his tracks. He was delighted at the boy's appearance. "Your son?" he asked the frozen woodsman, ignoring the child's threatening stance. Roland shot his arrow angrily off at Rumple before his father could even try to answer. Rumple had to dodge it by getting out of the way, which infuriated the boy, who immediately began to employ a new arrow. Robins muscles loosened and he rushed to his son, picked up the scrambling boy and tucked him behind his leg. "Come on, we're leaving," he said gently to the child. "Tell the others," he called to John. They turned to leave, Robin dragging his son with some difficulty.

"Wait. I've reconsidered," Rumple declared. Roland stopped making himself heavy as Robin stopped in his tracks, and Rumple enjoyed the moment. "If all your men are as spunky as this little one, then you might indeed prove useful."


	7. Chapter 7

7.

Regina had not intended to spend another day walking around a part of the forest that she herself had designed. She was glad it was still as she had left it, because it would keep the others busy. Planless Charming the shepherd could well still lead his dwindeling numbers through the sticks a year from now, Snow White firing him on, encouraging two dozen barmaids, physicians and carpenters, bards, handymen and washwomen ever onward, while moping Belle and Grumpy the Dwarf trudged behind. She did not want to see this out.

This would not be back to business as usual. She had not wished to keep her memory, not counted on remembering one more of the most painful moments of her life. Having to give Henry to Emma to save him from a world that was cruel and dangerous, cold and bitter as well as simply anarchic right now was undoubtedly topping the bill of heartaches in her miserable life. Saving Henry from all of that had been important to her in Storybrooke, but having to remember had not been on the agenda. Something had gone wrong, she felt. Again. Everyone remembered who they were, not just she herself.

Being who she was here, she could be the mighty ruler of the entire realm one day or executed the next. She had lost count of the lives she had crushed here, the families she had ruined and the pain she had inflicted, so she could not be sure of anyone's loyalty. There was no one left that didn't have an issue with her. She herself had even taken the life of the only person she had always been able to rely on in exchange for a taste of revenge. That had gone well. She had killed her own father, and everyone knew it. So who was to say how this would end?

Regina had taken the shortcut through magic back to Coras mill, where she expected to be safe until she thought of something. The mill was in decay, but no worse than it had been when last she had set foot inside. She took her time to look around and then descended into a deep chasm under the building through a concealed entrance beneath the millstone, casting spells to seal herself in so as to avoid unpleasant surprises. Carefully, she made her way into the cavernous darkness, a fireball in her hand lighting only parts of the path ahead. She could hear water gushing a mile away – but it might have been five miles, that was hard to tell. Finally, she could see a short distance ahead as she reached an abyssal cave. What she found there, startled her.

"Hello, darling! How kind of you to come visit", said a softspoken voice, as the delicate woman it belonged to stepped out of the shadows.

"Maleficent..." stumbled Regina, struggling for composure. "Are you still very angry with me?"


	8. Chapter 8

8.

Bae hat kept the tiny fire going through the last part of the nightshift, listening for any suspicious sound while Red had patrolled the site one last time. They were both cold and tired and he knew they would be for the rest of the day, as their march continued. He stretched his back and rubbed his neck.

He marveled at how silently Red made her way through the undergrowth. She stepped so lightly that she barely made a noise. It was as if she walked not on, but just above any twig that might snap. She sat down beside him. "Everything's quiet."

He handed her a leather water-pouch. She opened it and took a swallow. He was glad she wasn't much of a conversationalist. He'd had shifts with one of the nurses from Storybrooke General who had been a kitchenmaid of Reginas before. She had let him in on every ache, pain and scandal ever experienced by a patient. He felt he knew Dr. Whale like a brother, eventhough he had never spoken to the man that hadn't even been with them when they had arrived.

The others would be up soon, and Bae used the opportunity to check on Belle. She had made it through the day before quite well. He hadn't thought that she would, but she was made of more than her looks. He could see why his father had fallen in love with her.

Snow and Red hadn't told anyone else about the Baby she was carrying. There was no point. Her father had left the group shortly after Regina, taking six or seven of his former palace guards with him. In Storybrooke they had been bank clerks and insurance salesmen – Bae didn't consider it a great loss. Belle had been asked to accompany them, but one look from her had told the old man that she'd had no intention of coming along. He wondered why.

She was still asleep when he looked inside the shelter. She was every morning when he checked on her. "Sweet dreams," he mumbled and was about to leave her to her last ten minutes of rest, when she called out.

"Rumple?!"

"Nah, it's just me," he replied softly. "I'm sorry I woke you…"

She sat up with eyes wide open and a look about her that told him he had better left it alone because he had unintentionally just opened a wound that might have otherwise begun to close.

"I'm sorry, Belle", he repeated. "About everything."

"No, don't be," she whispered as she pulled her cloak around her more snugly. "You know, you sound just like him sometimes. Don't think you need to tell me you're sorry for anything, Bae."

He nodded at her and leaned down beside her for a moment. "Sooner or later we're going to get out of here. I promise."

Just then, they felt the earth shake. "Ogres!"

Belle got to her feet and gathered her bow and quiver in one smooth movement. Bae was up and back at the campsite fire before most of the others had realized what was happening. Snow and Charming were at his side, and they began racing towards the source of the rumbling, Belle not far behind. She was the slowest of them and knew it as Red passed her, but she had a hard time catching her breath. They had to keep the monster away from the campsite, kill it or at least lure it away.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

There was a dustcover on the tall full-sized mirror at the far end of the great hall. He had placed it there over three weeks ago without daring to look at the glass. Mirrors had always made him feel unsafe. As a child, he had never even seen one. Precious and expensive, mirrors had been toys of vanity for rich people only, and neither his father nor the spinsters that had raised him had ever owned one.

He had at eighteen bought a very small hand mirror as a wedding gift for Milah, spending a small fortune on it. He had worked his fingers bloody and traded his winter cloak to please his new bride with this gift.

She had been used to better, but after her father had been accused of treason, the king had taken her family's farmlands and large house, confiscated the herds of cattle and sheep, and left them homeless. Milahs mother had had relations in Rumple's village. The poor cousin had not been particularly excited at takinge in their mortified relatives, since five young children of their own had to be fed, but being good people, they had put up with their spoilt and arrogant kin – hoping it would not be for long.

He had been infatuated with Milahs delicate younger sister, Rowe, for a long time, but Rowe would never even look at him. He had felt himself to be so far beneath her, that the thought of even speaking to her had seemed absurd. Milah, on the other hand, had often walked to the market in town with him, taking eggs and sometimes a few hens to sell near the market stalls he delivered his yarns and cloths to. He had soon started to wait for her to have sold all that she had, so that she wouldn't have to make her way back to the village alone. Her mother had not seemed displeased at that, and her father had sometimes patted him on the shoulder and offered him some of his cousin's mead. Things had been settled very quickly after that, and shortly after they had made their vows quite unceremoniously and without the kind of feast that more wealthy people could afford, Milah had moved into his hovel and, her cousin's patience being at an end, her father had somehow acquired a donkey cart and taken his wife and Rowe to join a caravan heading to another kingdom in the east, whatever he had in mind to do there.

Bae had been a toddler when he played with and dropped the mirror, on the stone tiles in front of the fireplace, shattering the glass. Milah had left him in the house alone, as she often did when Rumple was out, hoping he would not wake until Rumple returned. But the tot had woken, found his mother's mirror and cut his hands and his mouth badly on the shards, alone with his pain.

Rumple had returned before dusk shortly after it must have happened, whistling a tune and happy to have made a good deal with the shepherd he acquired his wool from. He had heard Bae crying some distance from the hovel, dropped the load from his back and started running. He had been frightened at seeing all that blood on his child, but he had stayed outwardly calm, as was his way around the boy, gently cleaned and bandaged the wounds and buried the shards of the mirror behind the shed. He never rebuked Milah, whom he had made so miserable by simply staying alive on the battlefield, but vowed to take better care of his son, by finding a way to take him along whenever he left the house in future. Milah had returned late that evening. He had pretended to be asleep. She had never asked about the boys injuries.

There had been scars left on Baes hand and around his mouth, but Rumple had been glad that the boy had apparently not swallowed any of the glass that had cut him. He had noted that the man Bae had grown into, wore a beard, probably to hide the worst of them.

Rumpelstiltskin had debated with himself, whether or not to have a look at what had become of him under the dustcover. He had kept busy during the last weeks, menacing ogres and having great fun with trying different kinds of curses on them, astonished at how many of them there were around these days. Had he really had all of them up in the Lost Mountains all those years ago? Age must finally be catching up with him. Still, it was amusing to see the results at the end of each day.

He hadn't actually killed again since that first ogre he had come upon. It wasn't that he hadn't taken pleasure in it... It had made his heart miss a beat or two, his skin tingle, and it had simply elevated him. He might no longer be immortal, but he was still the most powerful practitioner of magic in this world. He loved the kick of it, but it was different to before.

During the nights, when he found neither sleep nor comfort, he had come to the conclusion that there was simply no need for it. He had other ways of dealing with the ogres and no need for an unnecessary waste of his energy. He had often been weary since being here, and he had to make an effort so that his merry boarders would not catch on to the fact. He would find and take care of whom ever or whatever was commanding the ogres in time, though he still had no idea what Robin had meant. During the last weeks he had seen no trace of anything but ogres and more ogres. Plus maybe the occasional villager left behind and cowering in some hut, as well as hearing that there had been the occasional sighting of some warrior or prince combing this neck of the woods for whatever it was they were hoping for. But he would find out soon enough. He would take his time. Same as with the mirror.

"What are you doing?" the boy asked. Rumple was sure that he had been alone a second ago, but he hadn't been paying attention, distracted by the mirror's hold on his thoughts.

"Not much," he replied coolly. He turned to face Roland and raised his chin in a manner that made the boy raise an eyebrow in return. Rumple enjoyed Roland's company, eventhough he never would have admitted it. The child brought life to this place. There were three others around Roland's age, but Rumple had noted that they were still quite busy holding themselves on their feet while breathing all at the same time. Roland was bright and adept for his age.

Rumple stepped away from the mirror and walked around Roland, his hands folded behind his back and something between a smile and a grin on his shimmering face. "Why have you come to see me?" he asked.

"Just because," the boy replied wryly.

"No one comes to me without having a deal on his mind, young man," Rumple teased. How often he had said these words – just never to a boy barely out of diapers before.

The boy kept a close eye on the Dark One, folding his hands behind his back and standing up straight, copying Rumpelstiltskin's stance. "I want to know about magic," he declared.

Rumple cast a serious look at Roland, bending towards him slightly. "And why would you want to have knowledge of such a burdensome thing?"

Roland held Rumple's gaze. "Magic makes things better. You are taking care of the ogres."

The Dark One held back for a moment to consider the ruinous downfall of his evil reputation. He mildly considered that he should have thrown them all out as he had intended to. Was this what it had come to? "Is that all?" he laughed, "You want to clear out the ogres?"

The boy kept pace with Rumple, who was walking through the room as the conversation went on without glancing at him. "My aunty says that you can make vegetables and corn grow in the fields, so that everybody has enough to eat. And… your magic healed my mum before I was born, which is why I'm alive. My father told me so. But she died after you left and took the magic with you."

Rumple stopped walking and faced the boy, perplexed at Roland's clarity of estimation. He didn't think he wanted any part in this. The boy might expect something of him that he wasn't able to deliver. He was lost for words and could think of neither a smart nor a compassionate thing to say. Children were hard to lie to, especially when they were so aware at such an early age. Bae had been like that. "You better get back to your aunt," he said softly, turning his back on Roland. "Your father wouldn't like you talking to me about your mother, lad."

Roland reluctantly started to do as he was told because he felt that he was overstepping some boundary with Rumple, had talked too much, and he felt his cheeks reddening. But he stopped at the door for a second and looked back. "I want to understand, and I will ask you again, you know."

Rumple suddenly had the urge to tear the dustcover off the mirror and quickly did so with one sharp tug. It blew outward and softly fell to the ground as Rumple stared at himself angrily in the looking-glass. Yes, there it was, the monster. He felt rage rise up in him like bile in his throat and assessed the off color of his face and neck, raked frantically through his wiry hair and examined his rotting teeth in disgust. His pupils had retained their old size and deep dark chocolate brown around black irises. That was all that was left of the man he had once been. The rest was monster, just as he had expected. He hadn't hated the sight of himself as a young man, and he had been self-confident in Storybrooke, but he had always loathed himself after having killed the original Dark One. He had to keep reminding himself that he had brought all this upon himself, and that he had to figure out a new way to live with it here, or he would go crazy. He was about to turn away when the glass clouded over.

"What on earth kept you so long?" a familiar voice chuckled, as the image cleared.

He gazed at the glass, disbelief flickering only briefly on his face. "Well, well, well… look who managed to get herself into a fix again. Lost your touch, dearie?"

He waited for Regina to react to him, but while she fought for composure at the sight of him, his mind began to race and he began to image all the things that her presence in this world could implicate. His face darkened and his lips pulled into a wicked snarl as his rage spilled over and he screamed, "Or did you ever have it, Queen of the Empty Forest?! What a waste of my time you turned out to be! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?"


	10. Chapter 10

10.

Red was making a racket, screaming and shouting, trying to distract the small ogre that was swinging his club at Snow, who couldn't get a clear shot at its eye through the dense dripping branches of needlewood. It had been pouring all day, rain now turning to slush, and the light was fading. The ogre ignored Red, and she decided it was time to lose the cloak. She looked nervously around and sae that Bae was clambering up the slope a few feet away, thinking of how to best employ his last two arrows.

Belle came running from another fight she and Charming had been engaged in by the riverbank, their ogre already lying dead, polluting the water. Charming was still some way behind, having had difficulty in getting his sword out from under the heavy arm of the creature.

Belle shot one arrow after the other at Snow's ogres face, while Red's eyes began to glow yellow. The arrows all missed, several bouncing off, only one sticking in its cheek. Raging and screaming, it raised its club high in the air, taking whole tree-trunks out, and timbre was flying through the air everywhere as it crashed down not two feet from her.

It still frightened Snow to see her friend change, but she told herself that she had to keep it together, scrambling away and trying not to get bludgeoned to death. They had killed at least two dozen of the gigantic creatures within the last weeks, but it wasn't getting easier. And the more they killed, the more there seemed to be to replace them. She had begun to wish Regina had stayed with them.

Red's wolf ran in between the ogres feet, snapping at it and biting into the hard leathery skin. The ogre was now definitely finally paying attention, so she moved around it to get it just a little more out in the open, so that Snow could see its face and take aim.

Bae fired before Snow could, and he hit its dull pupil dead center. With one final roar, it spun around, its club knocking over two more small pines… and Belle. Red saw her flying. She crashed backwards into a tree-trunk, hitting her head and back hard, then remaining very still. Red began running, shifting back to her human form. She came to a sliding halt beside the broken body of her friend yelling Belle's name, tears streaming down her face. Bae came falling more than he was running back down the slope to them "No!" he cried out, "NO!"

Snow heard Red and Bae, but could not yet see what had happened. She knew something terrible must have happened, and time seemed to stand still as dread wrapped its icy fingers around her heart. Just then Charming grabbed her arm and yanked her out of harm's way, as two more ogres stamped through the trees, leaving a swath of destruction and throwing boulders that barely missed them.

Snow was sure of only one last thing: They were all lost.


	11. Chapter 11

11.

Rumple felt that speed was of the essence. He had no idea where they could be… the forest near Reginas Palace was one large labyrith and designed to keep people within its bowels. The fact that it was winter was making it especially perilous for the unprepared and unarmed conglomeration trailing along behind the shepherd prince, whom he had had to rescue from it once before. This was no camping expedition, and they had been out there for several weeks now. He had to find them. He would have to remember to kill Regina later. If Maleficent hadn't already taken care of that. Oh – Maleficent. He'd also have to remember to do something about her when he had a moment to spare.

He had tossed over the mirror in his blind rage at the Evil Queen somewhere between the place where Regina had told him all she was going to and the place where she was going to propose some deal or other to him – he hadn't been listening to that part very well. He had no intention of doing any dealings with Regina right now. He hoped Maleficent would eat her alive for this.

He rushed to the vault under the oversized painting at the back of the great hall and willed it to open. He hadn't thought to look what had remained inside after his return, so he wasn't sure if he would find what he was looking for. But… there it was… broken.

The crystal ball was shattered. He closed his eyes and felt his son standing where he was right now, weeks before, taking it out and looking for Emma. He had seen her and recognized Neverland – before accidentally swiping the crystal ball off the table as he had turned to tell Robin that he would be in need of his help. Robin had picked up the pieces and they had put them absent-mindedly back into the vault, which had sealed up again automatically. He had to wrestle down his creeping despair and get a hold of himself. Not even having considered the possibility of Belle and Bae caught here in one of Reginas death traps, he was at most sure and in the least hopeful that the both of them knew what they were doing and were taking care of each other. At least neither of them would have to go it alone. But they would have to be on the move and fighting, so many of them having been returned from Storybrooke and making noise. That meant no cover and no possibility to keep warm with only the clothes on their backs. Swords, daggers and self-made bows and against the ogres, wolves and whatever else was out there.

"Think," he rambled, "Think!" They would not be summoning him because they did not know he was here, so that possibility of finding them had to be ruled out.

He sifted carelessly through the other contents starting with the bottom shelf and finally found the object that would help him find Belle and Bae in the Impervious Forest. It was a small golden band of woven gold, the twin of the wedding ring he had made for Belle. He had kept Belles ring on him to remember her by after he had sent her away from his castle all those years ago. The one he had made for himself had remained in the vault. He had never thought that he would see it again, and before his return from Neverland, he had never imagined giving Belle any kind of promise he might not be able to keep, not believing in any kind of future with her… How he could ever have thought that anything good would come from his making promises to the people he loved? Until a half an hour ago, he had at least assumed that Belle would be getting over him and starting a new chapter of her life in Storybrooke, safe from Pan, ancient vendettas, magic. And even from him.

He slipped the ring on the finger it had been meant for, mumbled the fitting spell and watched as it began to glow very weakly. That meant Belle was wearing hers. And it would find its twin.

Within a wink of an eye, he was standing beside Robin, who was standing in the doorway of the room where his son slept peacefully. "We're in a hurry," he told him curtly.

"Are we now?" Robin replied as he closed the door so the boy would not be woken. "A little late for hunting ogres, don't you think? It's getting dark."

"We're not hunting ogres. We're looking for some people in the Impervious Forest."

"Told you you'd be in need of my knowledge and capabilities."

"I don't need a guide. I need you at my back."

Robins eyes widened. "What are you expecting to find?"

"Oh, I don't expect to find much out of the ordinary. Perhaps an ogre or five, a troll or a wolf… But I might get distracted," Rumple explained. "That happens to people my age. And in that case, I need you to watch my back and keep arrows or daggers off of it."

"I once shot an arrow into your chest, and you pulled it straight out," Robin laughed.

"Well, I am getting a bit wreckless," Rumple snapped, grinning. He put his hand on Robins shoulder for the connection and got them a start on their journey in a purple puff of smoke.


	12. Chapter 12

12.

Belle couldn't clearly hear what was going on. She was too tired and there was a gushing noise above the whistling sound in her ears. She couldn't move at all. She watched snowflakes soaring gently from between the black bare branches down towards her. They were beautiful. She had been cold for weeks, but she wasn't cold anymore. She would be seeing Rumple. She had a picture of him in her mind. He was sitting cross-legged on a blanket in a mossy, sunny clearing in the middle of a green orchard, holding their newborn. He was looking up at her and smiling, sunlight on his face. White petals were dancing on a light breeze, like cherry blossoms in May. Her mother was there, too. She was right beside her. Everything was going to be alright. She just needed to close her eyes.

Bae had grabbed Red's cloak and thrown it over her bare back as he kneeled down beside her. She was shaking and heaving at the sight of the half-starved and worn out body of her friend, not knowing where to touch her, because every part of her looked so fragile and broken. She did not want to cause her any more pain. Bae knew Belle was dying, because she was so beyond pale, and he was aware that she was hardly breathing. He had the feeling she wasn't really aware of them anymore as he sobbed her name and gently pulled a strand of tangled hair from her forehead, heartbroken. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Snow and Charming were running towards them. They were being followed by two ogres, he suddenly realized in horror, returning to real time.

But then, split seconds before he had to decide to drag Red away and leave Belle behind to die alone, a miracle happened.

A gust of cold wind carried a tingling sensation through the brush, rustling the dead brown beech leaves high up in the tall old trees and all over the duff, and sending showers of conifers' needles from the branches. Red could sense him before she heard him, and she would have recognized the smell of him anywhere, because it had been all over Belle. It was impossible… but Rumpelstiltskin was here. She got up, her eyes searching for him. Charming and Snow had no idea yet, and they were shouting something at Red and Bae, gesturing wildly for them to run. But Rumple was already racing past Red and Bae, raising both hands at the ogres, whose legs and lower bodies were visible right behind Snow and Charming through the trees left standing. The ogres' legs froze and turned to stone with a crunching noise, swaying for a moment, but remaining right where they were. That was when the wolves came.

Robin drew an arrow from his quiver and shot it straight past Red, sinking it into the gigantic scruffy black beast. Red's eyes flashed, and she cried out to Rumple, who recognized her and Bae kneeling beside Belle. He was with her in an instant.

Bae believed that he was seeing a ghost. Centuries of Neverland, and he was losing it here in the world where he had been born. His father was dead. But here he was here anyway, standing right in front of him, looking truly dark and wearing alight chain armor under his heavy cloak.

Rumple's gold-dusted hand reached out tenderly to Bae's cheek for only one moment before he pushed both him and Red away from Belle and bent down over her. His eyes widened in horror for a heartbeat. His ring had been glowing a bright red just a minute ago, but it was turning black as Belle was slipping away.

He faded out everything that was happening around him now, certain that Robin had him covered and that the Charmings could hold their own – but not really caring either way. He had spent a lifetime loving her, died and had given her free, only to hold her here in the middle of this destruction and watch her die before she had ever lived, if he didn't keep it together now. He was in hell – and again, he was taking her with him…

Red hat shifted back to her wolf-form and was off running and snarling at the much bigger beasts pouring through the devastated brush. He could hear Bae yelling, as he was going for his share of the canine invasion armed with a dagger.

Rumple efficiently moved his hands over Belle's now unconscious body, searching for the worst of the injuries. He hardly knew where to start – everything was pressing. He decided on the head and took it gently in both hands, green light emitting between his fingers, looking at her face and mumbling his spells softly, adding to their volume. She opened her eyes slightly as the light faded, but he knew he had other internal bleeding to stop, and he pressed his left hand on her ribcage below her heart and pushed his right hand underneath her back. Green light engulfed her upper body and she cried out.

One of the black wolves almost landed dead on top of them, but Rumple shielded Belle with his body without so much as a sideways glance as it died two feet away, impaled by one of Robin's arrows. Red was with them again in her human form, anxiously watching him work on Belle. He looked up at her dirty, blood-smeared face for a second.

"You need to get her out of here," she told him, her voice just above a whisper. He nodded and quickly slipped off the signet ring he had been wearing since Red had known him.

"You come find me when you're through here," he said. "Give this to your prince. He'll know what to do, should you lose Robin."

Rumple glanced at Robin, who nodded at him. Robin had guessed that he wouldn't be taken back to the castle by magic. He was alright with that. His heart had gone out to the injured young woman that had saved his life, and he had seen so many of the people he had known before the curse, just a little way back from here and hardly out of danger's way. He would be needed by them, he told himself as he raised his bow, engaging another arrow, seeing Rumple carefully pick Belle up in his arms, straighten himself and vanish. He had not missed the anguished look on Rumplestiltskins face as the half-conscious Belle had whimpered in pain upon being held, eventhough Rumple's moves and touch had been light as a ray of sun on a cherry blossom in May.


	13. Chapter 13

13.

The wolves kept coming. Snow was quickly running out of arrows – she'd spent every spare sitting-down minute making arrows since the day they had arrived. Her quiver had been full this afternoon, but she had needed them all. Horrified, she noticed that some of the dead bodies on the ground began to shift to human forms where they lay. She tried to keep an eye out for Red, but she could hardly see anymore, as the last of the light began to fade.

She tried to put Belle out of her mind. She had no idea who had taken her, but she had seen a man in dark cloak using magic on her. She had seen that Red and Bae had not objected to that, so she assumed that they had been lucky enough to have some sort of magical ally here meaning them well. But why hadn't he shown himself before? And where was he now?

They had come across a few soldiers and guards with swords, shields and crossbows, some of whom had been killed in the meantime, and others who had decided to go it alone, in search of family and friends. No one had tried to force them to stay or blamed them. Merely four of them had remained with the group and were at this moment protecting the peasants, the craftsmen and diffuse other people that they had picked up in three weeks and which made up the bulk of their following back at the camp. But aside from Regina, there had been no one who could do magic here. It wasn't Regina she'd seen though. They would probably never see Regina again. Snow struggled to put it out of her mind and stay focused instead of confused or angry – she wasn't sure if they were going to survive this, but she was certainly going to try.

They had always pooled what weapons they had with them, and most had had a knife, a small dagger or a sling. The knives had been their greatest asset, allowing them to make the bows and arrows that were keeping them alive. But they were simply out right now. Snow used her last arrow, and it met its target, but it broke as she tried to pull it from the black fur. She was always automatically searching the forest floor and scanning nearby trees for strays, thankful for every intact one she could retrieve. She was tired and her vision was too bad to find many more here though. Bae had taken out the black beast that had come charging at her as she had struggled with her arrow, shoving his last one into her hand, and Charming saw her standing there in desperation from not fifty feet away.

He'd never taken so many lives before, he realized sadly, when he saw another dead wolf shift at his feet. His arms were aching from the weight of his sword as he swung at another of the creatures, trying to edge his way towards Snow and Bae. He was exhausted.

He didn't know what had become of the people that had left them – they had met a confused sheriff of some sort with a flask in his belt where his sword should have been, rambling on and on about having known this was all coming back to him, as well as Belle's father with parts of his old palace guard. Even King George was rumored to have been seen. Charming didn't count on help, even if some of the soldiers that had left them or any other constellations of people had been nearby and realized what was going on here – they'd be smart to go running in the other direction.

Thick snowflakes were falling, laying a white sheeting at their feet as the air grew colder and dusk gave way to dark. Charming's eyes searched for his wife, hoping she was still alright, but he could hardly make her out anymore.

Just then, they all heard a shrill whistling sound, and suddenly, the wolves began to retreat. It happened so fast that Charming couldn't believe their luck. He crossed the distance to Snow in an instant and wrapped his left arm around her shoulder, his sword just dangling from his right hand. Red quickly found her clothes and struggled with them for a moment, as Robin, Bae, Charming and Snow stood back to back around her, trying to make out who or what was calling back the wolves, not knowing what to expect.


	14. Chapter 14

14.

A gust of freezing air banged opened the doors of the old castle, and Rumpelstiltskin swiftly entered, carrying Belle, white powderings of snow sprinkling his wet hair and cloak. He barely noticed the barefooted boy on the steps. Roland had been waiting for his father, eventhough his "aunt" Bertha had coaxed him back into his bed three or four times already that evening.

Rumple hadn't actually been gone long, but he felt like it was taking him forever to bring Belle home – as though he had been carrying her across realms and time.

"Where's my Papa?" the boy asked, jumping to his feet. Rumple pushed past him, climbing the stairs two steps at a time.

"He'll be home tomorrow night," he replied kindly, realizing the boy's fears from the alarming tone of his voice.

Bertha, who had brought Roland into this world and tended to Marian, scuttled out into the hall. She had been sewing in the kitchen with some of the other women, while the old men told stories and the young men were mapping out where the ogres might be organized, wondering where Robin had gone and why. "Roland! What are you doing out of…?" she stopped short when she saw Rumple with Belle on the stairs, both wet and covered in blood and dirt.

"My wife has been hurt. Get the boy to bed, he needn't see this," he ordered.

Rumple brought Belle to his bedroom, torches lighting up as he passed them. She had been in and out of consciousness at first, but had not stirred for a while. He put her down on his bed, resuming his search of her body for fractured bones and wounded skin again. He was worn out by the magic he had performed in the last hours, and his hands were shaking. He knew he would not be able to fix everything, because he had to _see_ what was hurt if he wanted to be able to will it to heal. He was no physician, and he was no god. He could turn ogres to stone and butchers into pigs, masons to snails and put glass slippers on Cinderella, but he could not bring back people from the dead once they were past a certain amount of damage. That was the nature of his magic. His was dark magic, and life itself, unlike death, was a matter of the soul's surrender, or, in the end, consent to its passing, and he felt that Belle had let go a while before he had found her. She did not know and did not feel that it was he who was carrying her, that it was his arms that were holding her. He was fighting a losing battle. If only he could see the future, he would know how to do better… know how to cheat death himself again.

Roland came and stood behind him silently, not daring to touch him. Rumple could not look at him. He was trying to hide the trembling of his hands by holding them down in his lap, and he tried to shut down the lines of thought that would have sent him into a flying rage had he not had years of practice being human in Storybrooke.

"Go away", he told the boy, broken.

But the boy found his courage. He came around to Rumple's side, crouched down and held out a long, slender package swathed in a rough, discolored fabric.

"What's this?" Rumple demanded, paying attention for the first time, sensing that there was something important beneath the cloth.

"It healed my mother when she was ill before I was born," Roland explained softly. "It doesn't work anymore… but maybe you can fix it."

Rumple took the package from the boy and unwrapped it carefully. It was the glass wand Robin had stolen from him. It began to glow a soft blue in his hands, and Roland's eyes widened. Rumple did not take notice of Bertha or John in the doorway, more people crowding up behind them in the hallway, waiting to see what would happen.

He felt hope and let the fabric slide to the floor at his feet. The wand lit up in his hand and began to glow more intensely as he moved it around just over Belle's body, whispering things the boy could not understand and Bertha could not hear. Rumple's anxious face relaxed visibly, as he watched her skin regain its color under the coatings of dirt and blood. Her chest began to rise and fall steadily, as she breathed evenly. After a moment, the wand went back to its pale white color, and he put it down carefully, studying Belle. She did not wake, but that did not trouble him. He felt her weariness layering his own, and he fell to his knees, where he remained, as Bertha confidently shooed away the boy and closed the door on the onlookers. She had told John what she needed from the kitchen, but she seemed unsure of herself again now, being alone in this room with the Dark One.

After a moment's consideration, she bent over Rumple and put one hand on his shoulder. "I know I'm overstepping. I know you don't need my help. But I'm going to help you anyway, now, master," she declared softly.

She opened the fastening of his cloak, and to his surprise, he let her. She helped him out of the chain armor he would not have been able to get off himself tonight, and she pushed a chair over next to him, so he could get up off the floor and sit. One of the women brought a washing basin with warm water and some rags. Bertha tore one of the bigger ones into strips, soaked it in the water and handed it to him, so he could wash his face and hands.

Then she started on Belle, carefully taking off her boots.

"I'll do that myself," he said, getting up after a moment. She nodded and left him alone.

He took great care to keep Belle covered with blankets so she would not be cold as he gently took off her filthy clothes, and he washed her, making sure that the cloth was always warm, and he dried her with soft towels he had conjured. He dressed her in a silvery gown and laid down on the other side of the bed, taking off only his own boots. Just for a moment, he told himself. He would close his eyes just for a little while. He had cheated death, after all. What was she going to think?

He fell asleep thinking of the one and at the same time last night they had spent in the same bed. They had made love, and afterwards, she had snuggled up to him, her back to his chest. He had conjured a star-filled sky to replace the whitewashed ceiling above them, and she had smiled, telling him how beautiful it was. He had made a comet cross it. "Make a wish," he had teased. "I have. It's come true," she replied.

Rumple tried to remember the exact night sky and made it appear for her. She would not see it tonight, but perhaps feel that it was there.


	15. Chapter 15

15.

A thick, unnatural fog began to roll in from the river, and it seemed to swallow the last of the wolves and their yelping, bringing with it an eerie silence. The temperature seemed to have dropped another ten degrees. Something wicked was coming their way.

They would not be able to see their hands in front of their faces if they just stayed here and waited. And their companions at the campsite were not anywhere near safe. "We have to get back," Charming urged, not seeing any other way. "I'm not sure what this is going to be, but it won't stop here. We have to warn them. Go!"

They half ran and half stumbled through the darkness, hoping they were getting the direction right. Robin made out the tiny light of a torch, which led them to others. They had been expected, and everybody was ready to run – as they had always been these past weeks.

"We have to leave – stay together, folks," ordered Charming, barely stopping while looking around. Was everybody here? He couldn't really tell anymore, and he had no idea where they were going. It was probably an illusion to think they would be able to outrun whatever it was, but they would not just sit here and wait.

"David," called Red, remembering the ring. She had put it on her finger to keep a hold of it. "Here," she said, slipping it off and handing it to him. Archie was there, holding a small torch that lit up the very light blue and white metal object Charming was holding in the palm of his hand in disbelief. Snow pushed past Archie.

"What's that?" she asked looking from Red to her husband, no sooner having saidit, than she had already realized what he was clasping. "Is that…? Is that…?" she stumbled, a puzzled expression on her face that only she could muster.

Charming nodded. "Yes, it is."

Snow raised an eyebrow, shook her head and tried to discard the thought. "No, it's not. He's dead. We saw it happen, dear."

"Well, his self-preservation is a built-in feature. And this is going to get us out of here!" At that, he put the ring on his own finger, and it began to glow ever so softly. He turned this way and that, waiting for the ring's glow to grow stronger. It did, and they had their direction. Finally knowing a way out renewed Charming's belief that they were actually getting out of this cursed forest and to somewhere they could gather strength and make plans.

They made their way at a quick pace, Charming and Bae up front, Robin and the four remaining palace guards bringing up their rear. This night was never going to end, thought Snow, exhausted to the point of indifference as to where she was putting her feet. She could hardly see them anyway. She looked for Red, who was somewhere beside her, and she thought she could make out Granny somewhere near. The fact that the old woman could still pick up this kind of speed, made her feel that she could, too, and it energized her for a while.

"You are sure that it was him?" she panted at Red.

"Heck, yeah! In the flesh. Creepy tan and all," Red replied. If she could have seen his face, she would have seen Bae smile briefly, because he had heard her.

"Not Gold, but really Rumpelstiltskin again?"

"Uh-huh. Apart from the fact that he actually gave me the ring to find him with, I mean. You know, without the wanting anything for it in return bit."

"Go figure…"

All kinds of hopes rose in her as she walked and ran alternatingly, fearing what was behind them in the fog, but thinking of the whole new set of cards they were being dealt here. If Rumpelstiltskin was here, and they were finally leaving this wretched part of the woods, things might just be looking up. They might even find a way to get back to Storybrooke and find Emma and Henry.

Suddenly, a shattering noise tore through the darkness, and the earth shook. Charming lost his footing, but came to a sudden halt, shouting at the others to stay back. He had nearly fallen off the edge of a high cliff that really couldn't have just suddenly appeared in the middle of a forest, but did. They had nowhere left to go. From behind, they could see thick swaths of mist closing in.


	16. Chapter 16

16.

She was lying beside him awake when he opened his eyes. He was surprised to find a full moon high up in the night sky outside, dimly lighting the bedroom and casting long shadows in. He hadn't slept for more than an hour or two during any night in a long time, but he wasn't tired now. He was wide awake.

He could spend the rest of his days just looking at her, if only this moment might not pass and change everything he had kept sacred in his heart, he thought. If only there was no need for talk and explanations, if only the rest of every world around them would simply disappear and they could pick up where they had left off before everything he had hoped for in another life had wilted and gone to its death. Then he remembered himself. He felt deeply ashamed and closed his eyes, as if that could hide him from her sight. But she was still looking right at him, and he had no way of reading her now. She had been through so much. She should not be here at all. What must she be thinking?

"You are always such a beautiful dream," he heard her whisper after a while. "I talk to you every night, but you never answer me. And then I wake up, and I'm alone again."

"I _am_ here," he breathed, a single tear tracing the line of his nose. He let it fall on the cushion, afraid to move, but opening his eyes. "_You_ are not alone."

She paused and reached out to him, her hand gently caressing his cheek. He felt her touch like a warm summer breeze washing over him. She softly drew air. "Am I dead?"

"No," he told her as he reached out to touch her face, but he stopped short, suddenly aware of his hard, rough claw-tipped fingers. He curled them into the palm of his hand hard. He had no right to touch her, however much he longed to. "No, you're not dead."

They stayed as they were for a time, until Belle closed her eyes, sure that she was dreaming. She didn't want to wake up.

He knew he had to leave her for a while. He didn't want to, but he knew Belle had to rest. She had a lot to stomach, but he had the feeling that she be would alright, as long as she stayed within these walls. He had made this place safe, and he was going to keep it that way. He also felt that familiar tingle that told him someone would be summoning him soon, and he needed to think.

He got up, gathered his boots, and left the room without making a single sound.

Everyone in the castle was asleep, apart from two of the bowmen that were doing their rounds outside. Unnecessary, but good exercise, Rumple smiled mischievously. He found Bertha in the servants' quarters he had never had servants live in during his time here and woke her. She was not startled. He wondered if anything ever upset her calm.

"I have to leave soon because there is something that needs my immediate attention," he informed her. "I need you to make sure my wife rests and doesn't leave the castle grounds. She would be in great danger."

He quickly set about reinforcing the cloaking and shielding spells he had put on the castle, which again cost him real effort. Then, as the boy watched on sleepily from his window, Rumpelstiltskin was gone with the rising wind.


	17. Chapter 17

17.

"You can run, but you can't hide…" a woman's voice told them sweetly out of the rising mist.

Snow couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. She had lost sight of everyone else.

"You can fight, but you won't win…" the voice continued a little harsher.

Charming was frantically scanning the white oblivion, but he had no chance of finding anything, and he knew there was a big hole in the ground somewhere very close by that he had no wish to fall down. He hoped the others wouldn't. "Stay put!" he called out, but there was no answer.

"You can hope, but you won't prevail," the voice thundered, closing the statement.

Red had always been able to make quick decisions. It was the wolf in her. She dropped her cloak and crouched down, letting it take over. She was the only one here with – perhaps – a chance of escape to think of a way to help the others. She needed to run and find out how to help them. As soon as her head cleared, she bounded blindly off, trying to feel her way if she couldn't see it. She let her instincts take full control of her, which scared, but empowered her.

"Good luck," she heard a whisper in her head. She knew it was Granny, who had felt her change and knew why she was doing this.

She tore across what felt like a clearing and kept going as fast as she could, a sense of being chased by another wolf for a time, until she found that she was suddenly out in the open. The sky was clear and full of stars. It would be easy to just keep going and never look back – she felt so liberated and wild at this moment… If she let the wolf have its way, she would never be troubled again. Endless freedom was beckoning her. She had to fight to override what she was feeling. With a low growl, she managed to shift back to her human form and lay down in the frosted grass for a moment until she the bitter winter night had chilled her into her human mind again. Shivering, she sat up and considered her options.

"Rumpelstiltskin! Rumpelstiltskin!" she cried out at last. One more time would make three. "Rumpelstiltskin!"

"That wardrobe of yours always was skimpy, dearie, but this is indecent," she heard him chuckle.

She was so surprised that this had worked that she didn't know whether to bite him or count her blessings that he had found her. He threw some clothing her way and turned around, so she could dress, pleased with himself. He could still shock them.

"We're in trouble," she said, quickly pulling on woolen leggings.

"I gather," he replied.

"Belle?"

"Safe."

She stood up beside him. "Well, then?"

"I would suggest we get going." He turned his back on her and started walking.

"Can't you just sort of… you know… puff of smoke…?" she demanded.

"Oh dear… oh dear… you don't know a thing, do you?" He stopped in his tracks. "You – are – a – wolf, dearie! You are a magical creature. I can move magical creatures once I have… well, disabled them. But I can't just take you with me like I can a human. And I can only take humans with me once they've freely consented or been given to me freely." Red had to think about this.

So, another walk it would be, she concluded and hoped they would not be long. She wondered at the fact that they were heading away from where she had left the group, but she knew this much: You did not question this man.

It took them most of the night to get to Cora's mill. Red had been here before, but she had known it to be abandoned. There was nothing here. Rumple stopped some distance from the derelict building and seemed to taste the air. Red was about to pass him, but he grabbed her arm with one smooth move and stopped her.

He raised one hand and the receding darkness around the mill seemed to glimmer for a second. He looked at her sideways. "Shielding spell. But Regina cast it, so this won't take long." He continued to stare at the decaying ruin and Red sat down, simply waiting for him to do what he did best.

Far underneath, in a deep cavern under the earth, Regina looked up. Maleficent had left her here alone with the rats and the mold hours ago, chained to a wall and behind thick bars. She had bound her hands with a spell that prevented her from doing magic and getting the hell out of there, and Regina was furious. She knew that Rumpelstiltskin would come to find her sooner or later, she had just hoped for later, when she might have figured out how to undo herself from the mess she was in. He would come sweeping in on her predicament and either leave her here to rot or throw her down some crack in the rocks below, depending on whether or not Belle and his son had survived their outing, she assumed. She had no affinity for Rumpelstilskin's relatives or girlfriend, but she had tried to talk Maleficent out of this. This was beyond stupid, even for Blondie, but fair's fair, she got why her old friend had not been feeling very generous with her disbursal of forgiveness. Not after almost thirty years of roughing it in the form of a dragon, holed up in a cave underneath Storybrookes Library. After all, she had been the one to put her there.

She furiously struggled with her bonds once again, to no avail. Great, she told herself. Just great.

Rumple had thought of at least a half a dozen ugly deaths he could put her to on his way here, but just now, he needed to find out what the ogres and wolves were after and why. He had entered the mill with Red, but he was descending into the cavern alone. He had asked her nicely to stay put, and when she hadn't complied, he had told her she looked like she needed a short rest. She was now dozing comfortably behind a pile of disintegrating rags that had once been sacks and out of sight for anyone opening the door. He didn't feel like looking out for two when he faced one sore and peeved Maleficent.

The dragon had been Regina's idea, but he could guess that she would not be too fond of him, either, especially since he had turned down Regina's, or rather Maleficent's latest request before shattering the mirror in the great hall. He hadn't even been listening too carefully after Regina had conveyed to him that the whole of Storybrooke had somehow ended up in the Impervious Forest weeks ago, and that she had been keeping Maleficent company since then. Whether or not out of her own free will, Regina had, once again, won the hearts of her people by first ranting, then running and finally joining up to throw stones at the cripple, as it were. He had done some of that in his lifetime, but Regina had a way of exponentiating every foul she ever committed by just _nearly_ redeeming herself before taking a new swing in full sight of everyone she's been trying to convince she was turning a new leaf.

Maleficent probably had some kind of power over her, and maybe Regina had not even been looking for her, but right now, he didn't care. He found her sitting in cell, not unlike the one in which he had spent his last months in this world thirty years ago. And yes, she was bound by a spell. He loved it. Her face was worth every crawling creature he had had to crush under his feet while troubling himself down here.

"Too delicious," he laughed and clapped his hands. "Has she left you to practice your fire breathing down here? – Oh, wait, that was the other way around until recently."

"Have you come here to gloat or did you want something specific?"

"Well, it's not the medicinal clay I'm here for, dearie. I want to know where our wrathy ex-fairy might have flown off to and who her new friend is."

"As it happens, I'd be willing to share on that," Regina offered, her smile not extending beyond her lips. She was learning when to quit, but she didn't have to like it.


	18. Chapter 18

18.

"I have kept my end of the deal even after all this time. I've waited for your return patiently. Now you will tell me where the portal is," the wicked witch of the west demanded, her tone sharp, as she waved her green hand, revealing a gathering of statue-like people to Maleficent in the clearing just beyond the Impervious Forest, all standing up frozen in space and time, as it seemed. They were alive, but they saw and heard nothing, the mists of lethe crawling at their feet.

Charming was there, open-mouthed, immobilized in mid-shout. Snow held Red's cloak in her hands. Robin was just about to shoot off an arrow. Granny was smiling at something, and one of the palace guards was looking down at his feet. Maleficent looked first at Snow, then at Bae very closely, a brief knowing smile flickering across her face, but she did not notice that he was swaying just slightly, wondering who the ugly sisters could be talking about. He was doing his best to stand very, very still in the cold dawn air.

Maleficent span around. "She's not here! You have failed!" she spat at the witch, "She just isn't here, so I don't have to tell you anything!"

The witch's eyes blazed. "I did all you asked of me. I've had every ogre in the realm rounding them up for years now, keeping them for you, and this must surely be the very last of them. Perhaps the wretch froze to death in her sleep in this godforsaken land."

Maleficent's eyes narrowed, sizing up her accomplice and giving in to old habits. She threw a bolt of lightning at the witch, who had seemed to be expecting it. The wicked witch vaporized, avoiding it easily, and reappeared behind Maleficent, grabbing her by the throat and choking her. No wonder Regina had been able to keep Maleficent as a pet in the pits of her town, Bae thought. This fairy was not really bright, he thought.

"I'll just have to find it myself," he heard the wicked witch laugh before she let Maleficent down and floated off into the distance at a rather astounding speed, seemingly carried away standing on the backs of her wolves, determined to find a .

Maleficent screamed out, furious, and began to disappear veiled in a clouding of grey smoke, forgetting about Bae and his companions. Bae was set on finding out where she was heading off to, so he jumped at her and held on to her cloak for dear life as she began to fade from sight. When next he looked up, he found that he had not done badly.


	19. Chapter 19

19.

Belle had no idea where she was when she woke from her deep sleep. Sunlight flooded the room, and she was warm and comfortable. She sat up, taking in her surroundings. She startled, when the door swung open, and a burly red-cheeked women burst in, carrying a tray with some food and a jug of water on it. "I'm Bertha," the women declared. "How are you feeling, milady?"

Belle slid out of the bed, dragging her cover half off. "Where am I?" she questioned the stranger – although she could now take an improbable guess, as she spun around and tried to take in everything at once. Her heart was racing, keeping her from thinking too clearly. She remembered cleaning this room many times. But she had never slept in it.

Bertha set down the tray on a small table by the window. "You're _home_, milady," Bertha explained kindly and took her hand. "I'm so glad you're here. We didn't know if you'd live when you were brought here last night."

"Who brought me here?" Belle insisted, hoping to hear it, needing to hear it.

The door flew open, and a small boy rushed inside, calling out, "Rumpelstiltskin!"

Bertha tried to hush Roland, but he pushed past her, looking up at the beautiful woman that had nothing in common with the hopeless dying creature that he had seen lying in the Dark One's arms just the night before. "It worked!" he marveled. "He made it work!"

Belle bent down to him, so that she could watch his happy face closely. "What did he make work?"

"The glass wand that my Papa used to make my mother better when she was ill before I was born."

Belle smiled at the boy, believing it. "Then your Papa must be Robin Hood."

"You know him?"

She nodded. "Yes, I do." Belle looked back up at Bertha. "You need to tell me what's been going on here, because I've been running around the woods too long."

An hour later, Belle had dressed and eaten warm bread and cheese, listened and asked a lot of questions. Bertha and the boy had left her alone, and now she was wandering around the castle anxiously, trying to wrap her head around the things she had been told. She wished she knew where Rumple was now, and if the others were safe, playing with the thought of how to best find out.


	20. Chapter 20

20.

When Maleficent returned to the cavern under the mill, she had to deal with two things: She had unexpected company – and, she had unexpected company. Rumpelstiltskin had set a trap for her, five crystals imprisoning her within a pentagram of light the moment she manifested. And his son Baelfire had been clutching her cloak when she had left the clearing.

Bae had been smart and quick enough to leave the pentagram, having expected trouble the moment they had arrived. He had leapt aside and landed right at Regina's feet.

"What…? Family reunion in grandmother's basement…" Regina mumbled in distaste.

"I'm so glad to see you, too," he told her, suddenly taking in Rumple stepping out of the shadows.

Rumple knew that they didn't have all day. But he needed to embrace his son. Bae wrapped his arms around his father and vowed never to say never again. He felt genuinely glad see him – however improbable it was that it would stay that way. It had been a long time since he had felt comfortable around his father, but things were different now. Rumple had sacrificed himself for them all, and he had earned his respect back. Bae had not within the last hours questioned how his father had come to return here, but he guessed that this had some meaning designed by fate. He believed in fate. Just like he believed that all this was good for something – maybe taking him back to Emma and Henry.

"Where's Belle?"

"Safe," Rumple assured him. Bae guessed that he had taken her back to the castle. He would have shielded and cloaked it, as he always had done with the house they had lived in. She would not come to any harm, as long as she stayed there. So there were other things to consider right now.

"Maleficent has got a new girl pal," he began to explain.

"I know," Rumple informed him. "An old friend staying over."

"She froze everyone in the group I came here with using some kind of magical fog," Bae continued, "but it had no effect on me."

Rumple looked at Bae intensely and smiled. "Blood magic. Been there, done that." Bae didn't know what to make of this.

"You won't stop her," the fallen fairy taunted. "She's been looking for you. Waiting for you to come out and play."

"Yes, yes, we know. One world is not enough," Rumple grinned. "It never is. But tell me that you weren't still trying to kill Sleeping Beauty?"

Maleficent smiled. "No, not really… But I will take her child!"

"Now, that's more YOU!" Rumple teased.

Regina thought about all this for a moment and then gave in to herself. "We might have to consider the possibility that I… ummm, overlooked something when we left were returned here."

"You don't say!" Rumple snapped.

The Evil Queen gave father and son a look that told Rumple he better leave well enough alone, while Maleficent made herself comfortable on the damp and moldy ground. Years of custom. Perhaps she would find an insect or some grubs to eat…

"There was a portal in an abandoned part of mines," Regina began, but then hesitated. "Somewhere near the glass coffin Henry almost found when he fell down that shaft two years ago. That was why there was so much fairy dust there. Some flying nuisance or other had been trying to make it into the shepherd's good books while his wife was in labor, but the council didn't think she could do it, so she went and shared her grief with..." she stopped short, staring at an eating Maleficent for a moment's worth of disgust, "… that. Only then she was a reptile, and she had other things on her mind."

"Neither the Blue Fairy nor Tinkerbell were with us when we got here, so I wouldn't know who to ask" Bae told them.

"I think it was just very instable, but it opened when I changed Pan's new curse," Regina finally closed.

"And you know this how?" Rumple demanded.

"Because we sent someone through", Regina revealed.


	21. Chapter 21

21.

Red woke with a terrible headache. Things were not turning out as she had hoped. She dusted herself off and looked around. She could hear a drumming noise outside, like cannons firing, rhythmically again and again. Carefully, she crawled to one of the tiny windows near the door and peeked out. There it was again, the rippling in the air she had watched, as Rumple had dismantled the shielding spell Regina had cast on the mill. Once inside, he had cast his own. He had been sweating, a sight she's never thought she would see. It had made her wonder if he was still the magician he had once been claimed to be.

Under the earth, Rumple could feel the pulsating of the wicked witch's attempts at breaking through his protection. He hadn't put up difficult spell, not having intended to be down here this long. And because he had been tiring again. He needed to be economical with what he had. Being mortal wasn't all it was cracked up to be when you were to performing dark magic.

"Trouble, trouble, trouble!" Red called as she came within sight of them. She chose to hide her surprise at the constellation she was faced with, but boy, was she glad to see Bae. "Trouble coming our way!"

Regina looked up at her as though she was seeing snot on Henry's scarf. "Any more of you joining the fun?" she inquired, stretching her neck to see past Red.

Red ignored her. "Hell hounds and bad complexion," she warned.

"Free me and I'll get you out of here," Regina offered. Rumple, who had already vanished the bars to her cell, didn't consider for long, waved his hand and undid Malefient's binding spell. If she was planning on being difficult, he could always kill her later, but he found that he couldn't leave this hidden place by magic, and even if he could have, he wouldn't leave Bae behind. He couldn't have taken him, he realized.

Rumple looked down at Maleficent, whose triumphant smile was pasted on her face. He couldn't let her stay, and he couldn't take her along. "Now what am I going to do with you?"

Maleficent's eyes widened, as Regina pushed Rumple aside. "Let me." She realized that she was about to be changed into something obnoxious, as Bae took away one of the crystals holding her and Regina flicked her fingers at her. The dragon had at least been a fearsome creature, bearing witness to some sort of kinship between them, but Regina had lost all regard. Maleficent's last thoughts on the situation were that she might have been better off cutting her losses, using the portal herself and tried to conceal it behind her, knowing that she hadn't the power to seal it. That was right before she fell spluttering to the floor and scuttled away from the light on her short slimy legs.

Regina lit another fireball and held it out in front of her as they went.

Rumple chose to light his own, having given Bae a torch for himself and Red who were behind him in the narrow passageway. His eyes wandered and strayed, his feet moving mechanically, as they always did when he was searching his mind for cross-references. He tried to remember the Storybrooke mines and compare them to the underground pits he had been known to haunt from time to time in this realm. He wasn't getting a clear picture, because he hadn't spent much time underneath the town. There had been more pressing matters to attend to.

"And what on earth did she want me to do anyway, really?" he questioned Regina, stooping every now and then, as the corridor was getting lower.

"In the end? Die," Regina assessed in all clearness. "She wanted me to get you down here on her terms because the wicked witch had heard rumors that you could bleed. Is this true?"

"And if it was?" Rumple retorted. "Just supposing?"

"If it can bleed, it can be killed. And if it can be killed, its power can he handed on," she explained. "You didn't really think that you could kill yourself with that dagger, did you?"

"Infact, I did," Rumple replied honestly. "The prophesy."

"Well, she wanted your power to be able to change the portal's form and destination once she got through. She wanted to bring dark magic to mankind on the other side and be able to go back and forth between realms."

"And why is it that you're not comfortable with that thought?" Bae thought to ask.

"Because… because she said she could find anyone. Including Henry."


	22. Chapter 22

22.

Belle had learned quite a few things about ogres. There had not been any left in these woods in her lifetime, before she had returned here, but she had read about them both here and in the Storybrooke library. She had soaked up every legend told by the fires of their kitchens as a child – especially those of how Rumpelstiltskin had defeated and banished them all to the Lost Mountains. And finally, she had been trying to avoid, distract or kill plenty of them herself during the last weeks.

All things considered, it was not an attractive thought to leave the safety of this castle. Yet there had to be something she could do to help Rumple. And her friends. She wasn't sure if the baby was still there, but she hoped so... she didn't want to go down that road too far. There was no sense in it. Especially now. She remembered most of what had happened to her in the woods, but it was over. She could put bad things to the back of her mind very easily, having put behind her the fact that she had spent twenty-eight years in solitary confinement. It might have seemed strange to anyone else, but she had in all that time never let bad thoughts or feelings get the better of her. She had always known that nothing – including very cruel things – lasted forever. She had learned this lesson very early in life, and it had proved vital.

She had already made up her mind to leave this safe haven when she heard two of the bowmen talking about the fields of frozen people at the edge of the Impervious Forest, not very far from where she was standing, looking over the wall. There had been talk of the king and the queen having been among one of the groups they had found. They had to have been speaking of Charming and Snow, she decided, but no one had felt free to answer her directly when she had inquired. She was being treated like a delicate porcelain cup – nobody here knew that this cup wasn't afraid of some chipping anymore.

All these people Rumple had given shelter to, bustling about the castle – she was quite surprised at the fact that there must have been at least fifty of them, counting children, as she made her way to the great hall. She knew he had been sustaining them, eventhough conjuring material things out of thin air had always drained him. It was winter, and there were no fields, no crops, no farming of animals and no markets, no craft guilds, no kings and no peasants… not really not much of anything at all, including livestock and provisions. Rumple could teleport things from one place to the other quite easily, if they were on the same plain. But she was willing to bet that keeping Robin Hood's following was costing Rumple physically, because that was just not how his magic had been meant to work. They were oblivious to the fact that Rumpelstiltskin's magic had actually been made and meant for darkness, not for conjuring flour and eggs. They were doing their best, keeping busy around the building, repairing this, handworking that, cooking and sewing, cleaning and washing. What else could they have done?

The mixture of anxious fear and careful optimism were palpable here. But all of this would have been unthinkable to the Rumple she had known here all those years ago. He would never have allowed for this, and none of them would ever have asked for his help, because he had let his dark side rule his doing for the most part of his existence quite naturally. They would have had to return the favor, if they had asked anything of him before Storybrooke… But he had proved that there was good in him, even then, starting with what he had done for the realm by turning an army of ogres to stone, and closing the circle here.

Robin's people had been told not to let her leave the castle grounds, and she didn't want to get anyone into trouble, so she decided to leave him a letter, just in case. She knew how to open his vault, because she had been paying attention. She sought his staff and found it, hoping that blood magic would work for her, too. It would make sense, assuming the baby was still there. She raised it and tipped it at the tall painting just once. It did, and she smiled. She was almost sure that she was still pregnant.

She put the letter she had written into one of the shelves and almost let the vault shut and re-seal itself, but just then something caught her eye. Ruby slippers? Why on earth did Rumple have ruby slippers locked away for safe keeping? Curiosity killed the cat, the thought, but took a moment to look around just a little more. There were many things in the vault, some of which she was unsettlingly familiar with, and would not dream of touching. Some other things must have been added in her absence after Rumple had released her from their bargain. A small black flagon caught her eye. It was corked, but appeared to be empty. And it seemed to call out to her. She was quite sure that this had some meaning, though no idea for its purpose would come to mind. She decided to follow her intuition and pocket it. Perhaps this, too, was blood magic working.

Belle knew this castle better than anyone else here because she had cleaned every nook and cranny, having the time of her life with its secrets. She had been sure that Rumple must have suspected, because she sometimes found that things had a habit of moving whenever she had just learned to place them. And Rumple had equally had his fun by constantly letting her search for "misplaced" objects, only to find these objects had been enchanted with some fading spell or other. He had never said a word about it and simply smiled mischievously at her frustrations, whenever she was "behind". She had tried to outwit him unsuccessfully for some time, before she had learned that a wash-basin thrown hastily over it would not contain an enchanted item – whereas the black crystal bowl Rumple had traded for the end to a gremlin-epidemic somewhere in another kingdom finally did.

She left the castle without any problem, the flagon tucked safely away inside a good a winter cloak from Rumple's bedroom, seeming to disappear into thin air right under Bertha's nose as she raised the hood against the cold.


	23. Chapter 23

23.

Rumple closed his eyes and leaned against the wall just for a second. Bae was the only one who noticed in dark catacombs.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. This wasn't like his father. He wondered about what Regina had said earlier. "If it can bleed, it can be killed…" Bleed? Rumpelstiltskin couldn't bleed. Just like he couldn't feel ill. At least, not when he had been here with him last. His father had, at his worst, made others bleed. The only time he had ever seen Rumple come unhinged was when he had been poisoned in his human form. Could it be…?

As if in agreement, Rumple nodded, meaning just to answer his son's question. "Yeah, just fine," he smiled. He would have to do better at watching himself around others.

Rumple knew that his vault had been opened. He felt it. And he also knew that Belle was wearing his cloak. He had put it for her to find with the other clothes he had left for her. Knowing Belle the way that he did, he had been sure she would not do as he had asked. Had she ever? A crowd of woodcutters would certainly not be keeping her on the castle grounds – that much had been predictable even without having the power to see the future. On one hand, he was glad that she had the cloak, on the other – what was she thinking? She had a knack for finding trouble, mostly head on. Unbelievable how she had managed to survive her childhood, let alone the past two years. And what on earth had she taken from the vault? It had made his head spin and his heart sink for a moment. The problem was that he couldn't do a thing about it right now if she got in trouble. He would always be worrying about her here. This wasn't the world that he would wish for her anymore – this was a nightmare.

Finally, they could see light. Rumple was not surprised at the fact that they found themselves right underneath Cora's palace. He had met with her at the old mill frequently and always wondered how she had gotten there without being followed by the king's guard or her naïve betrothed, Henry.

They could have left the tunnels and come out in her old cell, the one where he had taught her to spin, but Regina led them past the secret entrance on to a cave that emitted a wonderful soft white light from every crack and every crevice. There was a narrow passageway at the far end of the cavern, its entrance sparkling brightly, promising a way into another land.

"And how do we know exactly where it leads?" Bae asked Regina, as Red gaped in awe.

"Well," Regina smiled wickedly, "That's for me to know and… you to never find out." With a small sudden flick of her hand, she whacked Bae and Red, who went flying into Rumple at a ferocious speed, knocking him over. In the seconds it took for the three of them to collect themselves, Regina was gone, and the first of the witch's wolves was upon them, growling menacingly, its eyes glowing a sick yellow and filled with the desire to kill. Then came the fog. Rumple threw one fireball after the other at the beasts that were now pouring into the cave.

"Go after her," Rumple yelled sideways at Bae, not looking at him for fear of distracting himself from the task at hand.

"What about you?" Bae replied reluctantly, keeping his distance from heat and sulfur.

"I'll take care of this. You go," Rumple urged. "Find out what there is to find and come back."

Bae hesitated, but he finally took Red by the hand and dragged her along for the ride as he leaped through.

Rumple's eyes flashed, as he felt a familiar rage rising in him once again, locking down everything else inside of him, most importantly: his despair. The truth of the matter was: He couldn't. He simply couldn't use this portal or any other one, because something was preventing him from even going near it. The consequences of this ascertainment were clear as crystal – depending on what Bae would find on the other side, Belle would be leaving through this portal sometime quite soon, if he had his way. But he would not.


	24. Chapter 24

24.

Belle made her way cautiously through the brush on the slope above what was left of the once well-kept village road just two miles from the castle. It was taking her forever because she stopped every so often to listen and get a feeling for the movements all around her. She made out an ogre that was only just far off enough not to worry her, but that was not her biggest problem. Two wolves silently appeared out of nowhere directly in front of her, and she had been sure that this was it. She was going to die here. Yet their bright yellow eyes wandered right past her, as they chose to bank left. They had neither seen, smelled nor heard her, as she stood shaking with fear. She only began to ease up and move again when a hungry squirrel scurried across her feet. There had to be an explanation for this…

She was sure it was a bad idea the minute that she did it, but she wanted to be certain. She stepped out in front of a wild boar that she heard rummaging through the dead leaves some distance down the old road she now felt safe enough using. It was a sizable example, and it could have fed them all for a day. She bit her lip, but smiled, as the boar plodded right past her, digging its snout into the mossy humus whenever it smelled something edible. She was invisible in these woods, and she suspected that it was the cloak. Rumple, she thought. It had seemed familiar to her when she had gathered it up in his bedroom hours before, but she had not taken the time to think or look around much more than had seemed absolutely necessary under the watchful eyes of… well everybody. The warming cape was old as the hills and it even smelled of him. Rumple was somehow always saving her.

At last, she reached the clearing. And there they were – she felt as though she could call out to them, wave to them, and they would meet her in the middle of the frost-coated meadow. But no one moved, and the ghostly quiet unsettled her. She stopped at a distance to consider the situation. Why were thirty people just standing still in time? What was stopping them from crossing the field? It took her a moment to actually observe that the fog lapping at their feet was not moving outward or dispersing, as a natural fog in these parts would. And: Only a fraction of the field was actually covered by it.

She moved as close as she dared to and crouched on ground, thinking. Finally, she took the black flagon out of the inner lining of her cloak and opened the fastening. The fog began to roll towards her greedily, and she startled, dropping the small vessel as she hurriedly moved back. She didn't have to retrieve it or move far back for safety though. The fog wanted only for the flagon, not for her. It was curling and hissing as the small bottle seemed to slowly and steadily absorb the swirling masses of mist into another realm, before the cork thumped back into its short neck. She waited for a second, before she picked up and pocketed the flagon, thinking that this might come in handy again.

Suddenly, there was bustling movement everywhere, as Belle's travelling companions reanimated with a fright. Charming was yelling out of context, and someone was calling for their child, while Snow began to look around for Red. They had all been running from something or someone, ready to fight and die before the fog had shrouded their senses and rendered them unable to move. They were confused and had to steady themselves, Belle realized as she stood watching them from a distance, observing to her despair that Red and Bae were not with them.

Snow was the first of them to see Belle, who had now taken down her hood. She crossed the ground between them with light paces and looked into her eyes, happily bewildered at seeing her, if not Red. She had no idea what had happened after everything had gone white. None of them did, and it made her sick to the stomach, having simply _lost_ her best friend and not knowing what had become of her. Or Bae. For Snow, it had been merely hours since the last ogres' attack. They had been running from some source of dark magic, and she had also been sure that she would not be seeing Belle again so quickly.

Belle saw that Snow was drained, her lips blue, her hair dull and disheveled – but then she also found a small note of relief in her friend's eyes, as Snow was guessing that Belle had been instrumental in freeing all of them from their curse. Belle embraced her sincerely and whispered that everything was going to be alright now. They were leaving the forest.

Snow was glad to find that, even in these times, she was still discovering that her friends bore traits she'd had no idea of.


	25. Chapter 25

25.

Rumple had killed every last one of the beasts. The ashen remains were smoldering, their smell sickening him, but he was ready for whatever would follow. He didn't realize that he was, infact, looking in the wrong direction. If he had turned towards the portal, which consisted of a single sheet of a substance that looked like glimmering ice on the wall, he would have seen Blue and Tinkerbell lurching in the shadows of the tunnel forking straight from this one. He would have seen the dwarf's pickaxe in Tink's hands and maybe, just maybe, have been able to stop some of what was about to happen.

Tinkerbell dismayed as he called out to the witch, "You can come out now, _dearie_!"

She had been convinced he knew exactly that they were there. Blue held her back, just as the shadow of a bent old hag emerged from the darkness right in front of Rumpelstiltskin. Tink could see the sick green color of her skin.

He laughed out loud at her, shifting his weight in a display of boredom, as he cast a shielding spell to keep her at bay. "I really thought you'd have evaporated by now, given the damp winter weather in this enchanting neck of the woods."

The hag ignored his snide remark, raising her hands and mumbling a spell to overcome the shield he had put up. She almost extracted the Dark One's dagger from Rumple's belt. He realized just in time and grasped it tightly. "Ah –ah –ah!" he told her off playfully. "We do not play with sharp objects!"

The Wicked Witch of the West replied angrily by breaking his shield yet again and hurling a bolt of lightning at him. He wondered why she could do that. Hadn't he been able to wipe some old midwife of this sort out of existence just thirty years earlier? He deflected her bolt of lightning, but Tinkerbell was only just able to save herself from the backlash with a quick sidestep, pressing herself firmly to the wall. Pieces of rock and debris went flying through the air, some of them hitting her. As she yelped with pain, Rumple spun around for a second, caught off guard. He didn't know who or what he was dealing with at his back, so he blindly flung a fireball at the fairies, letting the witch out of his sight. The witch had almost reached the portal using magical speed by the time Blue was able to seize the opportunity and lunge herself at it, battering the icy surface with Tink's pickaxe. Then everything went very fast.

The witch threw herself at the dying portal, sending electrical charges at both Blue and Rumple, who tried to disable her with a variety of spells that did not greatly seem to harm her. Blue dropped the axe and followed her, even though sparks and shards from the portal had started spraying throughout the cave. They both disappeared just as the portal finally shattered out of existence. Tink was blown to the ground by the shock wave.

Rumple quickly gained his feet and spun around in the utter darkness. He could have kicked himself. Regina had deceived him, because this witch had just wanted _into_ the portal for some reason, nothing more. She knew where she was going. And: Not only had he led her here, but he had also let her get the better of him. She _was_ in. But so was Bae. And Regina. He wanted to direct his rage at the remaining fairy, but he just couldn't see her anywhere. Tink had made herself small and was cowering in a crevice in the ceiling, sobbing softly.

"Where are you?! Where are you, you flying nuisance? I'll pull you limb from limb!" he ranted, lighting up the cave, searching for any sign of her.

Tinkerbell had the feeling this had not gone well at all. Blue had told her that they must protect the portal from the witch at all costs – even if it meant destroying it. Well, they had destroyed it alright. But Blue had let Regina, Bae and Red get into it without a warning, and Blue herself was gone now, too. That was one equation: Four people plus one witch in, but no one would be coming out…

They should have just taken their chances once they had gotten past Maleficent and Regina and tried to get back to the others, she thought. Or destroyed it right away. But Tink had so badly wanted to prove that she had earned her wings back... She hadn't followed her heart – she had just done what she had been told by Blue. She knew now that she'd made a mistake. She waited for Rumple to cool off before she dared take another peak.

She saw him on his knees in front of what was left of the portal Blue had built so long ago. He was staring at the shards, swearing and talking to himself under his breath. When he finally ran out of possible scenarios to rifle through in his mind, he gave up and started the long walk back towards the palace dungeons. She cautiously came down from her hiding place and looked around. There was no fixing this – or was there? She would have to think about it. There was a reason why Blue had built the portal down here. There was magic here already. Blue had said as much. She just had to find the nature of it and make it work, she decided.


	26. Chapter 26

26.

Rumple returned to his castle long after midnight. He had to come _home_ after what he had set upon himself in the mines. He had to see Belle because she was the only one who could set his mind right. She was not only where he kept his heart, but his sanity, whatever crazy land he found himself in.

The air was clear and very cold. He stood by the entrance and glanced up at the stars briefly. There were thousands, and they were only visible here because there were no distracting artificial lights in the sky or on the ground. Not like in the other world, where people needed to work or find other ways to hide from natural sleep at night.

Most of the people that were in his castle were fast asleep now, and that was just as well. He could sense that their numbers had somehow greatly increased, and thought about it for a second, but since there seemed to be nothing menacing afoot, he had no intention of speaking to anyone except for the most important of them this night. Robin's watchmen had seen him and mentioned nothing. He wanted to avoid thinking about any new predicament any person he couldn't care less about might be in, and he wanted to avoid any questions he could not find answers to right now. He might even be gone again before most of them would wake, if things went very badly.

There was only one person he actually _had to_ talk to, so that he would not scare the living daylights out of Belle. He sought out Bertha and ordered her to wake his wife and bring her to the library. He didn't wait for her to comply, sleepy as she was, but left her gathering herself, so that he would have time to think about just what he was going to tell her. She would be seeing him, really looking at him, for the very first time since the day he'd driven his own dagger through his chest right in front of her. She might not be prepared for what she would be seeing. He didn't expect her to be.

He didn't want to tell her any of what had transpired in the mines that day yet, because he needed to begin to sort that out in his head on his own for a while. He might never find a solution. Ever. But he didn't even have forever anymore. He would not be able to take influence and storyboard this. Not like last time. Deep down, he knew he didn't really accept that, but for tonight, he had to keep it together, because he had to finally face Belle. He owed that to her, but at the same time he simply needed her, selfish as he felt this to be… yet again. Same story, different era. Would history just keep repeating itself over and over until some god threw a wrench in the mechanism somewhere?

He carelessly flung his cloak onto the floor as he walked past the leather arm chair and crouched down by the dying embers in the large fireplace of his beautiful old library. This was the only room in the castle that had been completely spared by the looters, and there had not been a book out of place when he had returned.

There was enough wood in the basket beside the hearth, and he chose quite a few pieces, throwing them carelessly in, not concerning himself with their quality for rekindling the fire. He simply lit them in his own special way and watched the flames rise, crackling and licking at the blackened back panels, casting dancing shadows well into the room. He felt the heat on his face, and his eyes stung, but this was a kind of warmth that he could relate to – as opposed to the dead central heating in the other world. Woodfires smelled and made ashes, darkened the walls and his furniture, but they were real and tangible.

He had his back to the winding staircase that led to this room, and he didn't register her coming entering and taking in the golden effulgence of his hair at first glance in the half light, as he quietly knelt by the fire, letting himself be drawn into the goodness of its radiance. He'd been trying to empty his mind, but he hardly could. She had figured out what had happened to him upon returning here, by the time she quietly settled down next to him, keeping her distance for fear of besetting him. Silence. Finally, she whispered, "I've missed you. So much."

He didn't dare take his eyes off the entrancing flames and felt thankful that she was not compelling him to look at her. She had not even tried to touch him, although he had always physically felt her presence whenever she was near anyway. She was made up of so much more than he had expected when he had laid eyes on her for the first time of his long life.

It had been a hot summer day near the fields of Belle's home kingdom. The crops had failed for the fourth time in four years, rows of half-grown and crippled wheat and barley lay dying in the dust. The king's exceptional daughter herself was surveying the damage in the company of her father's counselor and some soldiers, who were standing a little way back, looking bored. She was wearing riding clothes and holding a book, a chart and a quill. He had been watching her for over an hour, wondering what she could be telling the counselor, gesticulating wildly as she kept taking handfuls of dry earth and holding them under his nose after reading out something to him and showing him pictograms in her book. The counselor, Rumple had decided, was an ass. He was not really listening to her at all, but simply picking his nose and smiling indulgingly as though he was being told off by a playful child he was having to watch.

Rumple had the feeling that she was anything but a child. She knew things about these lands that most of the farmers here didn't. The earth beneath their feet was leached out by monotonous cropping, and badly-managed fertilization. There had been several severely cold winters, hardly any rain in spring and none at all summer. The villagers and some laborers paid for by the king had been working on aqueducts, but the rivers were just not carrying the water that would be necessary, even if they did make the soil bring forth halfway decent and healthy plants again in this generation.

They might have some success by building the dam and the reservoir he had kept hearing Belle talk about the following day. He had stood on the exact same spot, concealed by a cluster of bushes in a small grove of oak and beech trees between two fields, and watched Belle speak to her father's treasurer this time, just a bit closer to him, never guessing who was eavesdropping on her. That was when he had first felt her aura.

Rumple had known that the war raging on the borders of the east of the king's lands, was literally eating away at what remained of the kingdom's resources, so there would be no dam, no matter what the treasurer was thinking. And Belle could never hope to make him see the importance of her long-term thinking even in theory, because he had no feel for agriculture and no background knowledge to draw on.

He wondered how far this young woman would be willing to go to for the sea of fools she was surrounded by. Did she really feel that she would ever be anything but Daddy's little princess around here? To any of them? That anyone would care to listen to her kind of sense here? They would all rather go to their graves.

He had heard of her engagement to a nobleman that was renowned for his ability to lose both great amounts of gold at card games and the occasional barroom brawl in the aftermath. But he was a rather wealthy part of the king's council by birthright, and thus a good match for the king's only child. A future king. Rumple made a mental note to prevent that somehow. Perhaps a little fall, or an olive in the windpipe – or both.

The Dark One was beginning to gain interest in Belle's motivations and the nature of this so very young woman's auspicious line of thinking. He was also willing to test her resilience. Maybe there even was some deeper meaning to his having found her.

Rumple exhaled and finally turned to meet his wife's eyes, giving her a good look of what had become of Gabriel Gold, since he had once again been practicing his dark magic in the land of his birth and original mortal sin. He let her see the monster that he had returned into being.

Belle looked at him without so much as flinching. She held his gaze with her heart wide open, and he could see that she was not judging him or questioning the meaning of his change. She was not deciding to run from him, as she probably might have, if she had unexpectedly and without warning encountered him in the fields that lifetime ago.

She had always looked at the monster. And she had always managed to see the man. How did she do that when he couldn't?

"I mourned you," she stated, waiting for him to say or do something. Anything.

He could tell her eyes were brimming with sadness now, and it was almost too much to take. "Rumple, I don't know how this all came to be, but I'm so, so very glad we're both here. No matter what."

He was fearfully lost in the warmth of the fire and the sound of her gentle voice in his ear. "I didn't think I'd ever get to see you again," he told her hesitatingly and ever so softly, trying to keep control of his tone. He didn't know how to handle himself anymore, because he was so longing to touch her, to hold her and feel her body in his embrace… But he couldn't allow himself to.

He couldn't bear the thought of having her in his arms only to let himself believe in a future with her again. She could not possibly grasp the implications of recommitting to him, and he had no right to ask her to. Granted, she could be with him here, where they were alone in the dark. But how would she see him by day? And what would her life be like in a month or a year, even if he could restore some sort of order to their surroundings and place a king on the vacant throne – if that bit of conspiracy was even within his power anymore. He was not so sure that the shepherd was really cut out to put an end to the chaos that was, and even more improbable, the anarchy that was yet to erupt the moment all those people in the forest were set free to socialize and be at each other's throats again. He could no longer plan very far ahead. For that matter, how was he to even keep her safe, when he had now twice managed to lose his son down some rabbithole right next to him?

A single tear found its way down his cheek and fell onto the stone floor as he started to turn away from her. If he had sense, he told himself, he would walk away and save them both a lifetime of sorrow and pain. But suddenly, he could no longer bring himself to – there was no way. It was just as undoable as going near the portal in the mines while it was still up. He gave in to himself and wrapped his arms around her, holding her and wishing he could take away her burden by magic as he felt her shaking and softly crying against his chest. He knew he mustn't. He could never do that because this wasn't how it worked with Belle and him. They had an understanding. But he was going to stop the pain they were both in by giving in to his selfishness, even if it was only for tonight. He was going to stay with her for now.

He weighed her in his arms until the fire had almost died down again. They had so much to talk about, but he couldn't think of a single thing that made any sense at this moment. He kissed her tenderly. Irrationally, he felt as though she might be taken from him again at any time, and this frightened him so he could hardly breathe. At the same time, he wanted to prolong this moment, keep hold of this night in whatever way he could. He kissed her mouth and her neck, careful not to become in any way too forceful, and Belle responded to him exactly as she had to Gabriel Gold. He was overwhelmed to find how much he needed her.

She strained to move closer to him, opening her eyes just long enough to make a discovery that left her staring in amazement.

"Rumple," she cried out. "Rumple?" She took his face in her hands. He was awake, but he suddenly seemed to be in a different world, dreaming vividly. Rumple could not believe what he was feeling – his skin was tingling and a soft light was engulfing him. A light breeze whispered through the library, turning pages of books on the small table and the stairwell beyond. He saw himself sitting on a blanket in the middle of a beautiful spring meadow, cherry blossoms were dancing on the wind. It was warm, and he could see birds in the blue skies above. There was a new born baby in his arms, but this was not a memory, because this was not Bae. His heart stopped when he saw Belle coming towards him, smiling at him and the child. Then, he suddenly caught his breath… and found himself back to reality.

Belle was shaking him, asking him if he was alright. She was holding his hands up to show them to him. He was confused for a second, and he didn't know what she meant for him to see at first, but then he observed what she was trying to tell him. He was looking at beautiful human hands, seeing their human skin color through the deep brown human eyes of Gabriel Gold. The kiss of true love had power beyond even his belief in the Enchanted Forest.

He laughed, as he kissed her again and again, only stopping as the one thought occurred to him that might yet be his undoing. He pulled the dagger from his belt and held it to the fading light of the fire. Tonight, he would have given anything not to have seen what was inscribed on its blade in bold, ornate letters.

oooooooooooooooo


End file.
